RE: Gob Northam, shouldn't there be unanimous demands for him to resign immediately, and destroy any evidence of him ever existing in politics ASAP. To do otherwise simply seems unconscionable.
RE: Gob Northam, shouldn't there be unanimous demands for him to resign immediately, and destroy any evidence of him ever existing in politics ASAP. To do otherwise simply seems unconscionable.
quote:
CNN Tries to Thread the Needle as Racist Past of Democrat Governor Ralph Northam Surfaces
He’s toast. There’s no way, no way, Democrat Governor Ralph Northam can survive the public scrutiny of his behavior in 1984 as a 25-year-old medical school graduate. This is 1984, not 1964,… 1984. C’mon. Most of us were adults in 1984, and I doubt any of us can even fathom this level of overt racism in 1984.
All current indications are that Northam was actually the one dressed in a KKK outfit while posing for pictures that he eventually selected to go into the school yearbook.
The entire episode is a reminder how authentic Democrats are the party of the KKK; and how their racist roots remain inside the party. To make matters worse, Northam’s 2017 campaign used accusations of racism against Ed Gillespie, and now Virginians in Charlottesville will have to accept that Northam, not Gillespie, was the racist in the race, or deny reality.
There’s so many layers to this, it’s impossible to encapsulate.
Additionally, the NAACP has now called for him to resign, and the 2020 Democrat candidates (Kamala Harris and Julian Castro) are starting to come forward calling for the same.
Ralph Northam in "clearly racist" photo with blackface, KKK robe; vows to serve out term The Virginian-Pilot -- Feb. 1, 2019
A photo from Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook shows him and another person in racist costumes — one wearing blackface and one a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood, though it was not clear which person was the future governor.
Hours after the 35-year-old photo came to light Friday, Northam apologized for his decision to appear in it. Elected officials and activist groups from across the political spectrum called for him to resign.
But in a video posted to Twitter Friday evening, Northam said he had spent the past year “fighting for a Virginia that works better for all people” and he would continue to do so throughout the rest of his term, which ends in January 2022.
“I accept responsibility for my past actions, and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust,” he said.
The photo, which The Virginian-Pilot obtained a copy of Friday from the Eastern Virginia Medical School library, comes from the 1984 yearbook, the year Northam graduated and turned 25.
On the half-page set aside for Northam, there is a headshot of him in a jacket and tie, a photo of him in a cowboy hat and boots and a third of him sitting casually on the ground, leaning against a convertible.
The fourth photo on the half-page has two people, one wearing white Ku Klux Klan robes and a hood, the other with his face painted black. The person with the black face is also wearing a white hat, black jacket, white shirt with a bow tie and plaid pants. Both are holding canned drinks.
In a statement Friday evening, Northam, a Democrat, confirmed he appears in the photo “in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive,” but did not specify which person is him.
“I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” Northam said. “This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians’ faith in that commitment. I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.”
Under the racist photo are listed Northam’s alma mater, Virginia Military Institute, and his interest: “Pediatrics.” His quote is listed as “There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think I’ll have another beer.”
EVMS spokesman Vincent Rhodes said Dr. Richard V. Homan, president and provost of the school, couldn’t comment on the incident because he’s out of the country on personal travel and won’t return until Monday. Rhodes said the yearbook was started in 1974 but hasn’t been produced since 2012. He called it a “student-run activity,” though he couldn’t confirm whether any faculty or staff advisers oversaw the project.
“My understanding is they (did) not, but I can't definitively say,” he said.
Rhodes couldn’t confirm which costume Northam was wearing in the photograph, saying the school would have no way of knowing.
“We obviously don’t think that type of photo would be appropriate to publish in the yearbook,” he said.
Reactions
Republican officials quickly responded to the photo, but several top Virginia Democrats stayed quiet.
The chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, Jack Wilson, said in a statement: “Racism has no place in Virginia. These pictures are wholly inappropriate. If Governor Northam appeared in blackface or dressed in a KKK robe, he should resign immediately.”
In a separate statement, four top Republican lawmakers — House of Speaker Kirk Cox, Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert and Senate Rules Committee Chairman Ryan T. McDougle — said: “This is a deeply disturbing and offensive photograph in need of an immediate explanation by the governor.”
Mark Herring, the Democratic state attorney general, did not respond to requests for comment through his office. The office of Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who will become governor if Northam resigns, had no comment.
The Virginia Black Legislative Caucus said in a statement that members were still processing the photo of the governor.
“What has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible and offensive,” the caucus said. “We feel complete betrayal. The legacy of slavery, racism and Jim Crow has been an albatross around the necks of African Americans for over 400 years. These pictures rip off the scabs of an excruciatingly painful history and are a piercing reminder of this nation’s sins.”
The statement continues, “Those who would excuse the pictures are just as culpable.”
As news of the photo spread Friday night, so did calls for the governor’s resignation. The list included progressive groups such as MoveOn, Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Julian Castro, and the NAACP.
Mark Herring, the Democratic state attorney general, did not respond to requests for comment through his office. The office of Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who will become governor if Northam resigns, had no comment.
Confederate statues, Jefferson Davis, there's a Klan statue I've seen pics of, that yearbook photo, the Jews with guns documentary on negro gun control, documentaries on the socialist Genocides around the world, Soviet sponsored Vietnam riots, Obama's support for gang rape and genocide in Egypt......
All with a sign that in effect says, "The evolution of evil, Slavery, the Klan, socialism, lies, and mass murder".
Maybe an annex at that waterfront park in Chicago Obama is trying to steal for his Temple.
Or just label them "The Truth Shall Set You Free".
After all, if Bill Clinton can create a giant "park" in Utah to keep the coal there off the market in payment for massive bribes from an Indonesian coal jillionaire, a few cubic yards of documenting history shouldn't be hard to do.
I'm reading widespread calls, from every quarter including the Virginia Democratic Black Caucus, Planned Parenthood (interesting, considering the couple million dollars they contributed to his campaign), MoveOn (also interesting) for Northam's resignation. It's like they're all desperately trying to swim away from the Titanic before it sucks them under.
I understand he's holding a press conference this morning; I don't see a political way out of this for him.
Oh, by the way, his nickname at VMI was "Coonman."
Dang.
This nuke (the yearbook photo) has been sitting in an arsenal somewhere, just waiting for the right moment.
And it had to have been actively hidden. Op research either did a crappy job looking for dirt on him...or someone didn't want it out yet.
Now they do.
Dan Bongino (FNC contributor, ex-FBI) says he received a copy of the photo via email in Oct. 2017 - I have no reason to disbelieve Dan, and it shows that the photo definitely had a "keeper" who was holding it close until the right time.
I just wonder what else is going on, that makes this the "right time". Something's happening behind the scenes...
He limited it to less than a 3 year span of males only, trying to eliminate the One. Matthew 2:16-18
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
So he's gone from appologizing for the photo, to not being in the photo to "I finally had a chance to sit down and look at the photo in detail. It is definitely not me". Funny thing, but I can easily tell you I'm not in that photo without taking time to examine it in detail. You can do that when you have never worn a KKK hood.
Personally, I find this all about stupid things done by people when they are young and stupid. If the left is going to play these games of personal destruction though, I'll certainly cheer it on when they are destroying their own.
