Should Ralph Shearer Northam resign as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia?

[Indy Texas]

No. His record as a public official indicates he is not a racist.

If Steve King's yearbook had something like this, it would be a different story.

We're not ending a governor's career when people like Louie Gohmert and Steve King are allowed to stay in office for life and face no consequences.

He can't run for reelection anyway, so his career will basically be over once he leaves office in two years.

[Indy Texas]

Furthermore, this would mean ceding the lieutenant governorship to a Republican, since they're the ones who control the State Senate.

Again, who has the moral high ground here? The people who defend Confederate statues in the 21st century and receive support from "Jews Will Not Replace Us" tiki-torchers? Or a respected physician who had a politically incorrect photo from his early 20s in a yearbook 40 years ago?

Does any serious person think anyone who is bothered by this would even think about voting for the Virginia Republican Party of Corey Stewart and Ken Cuccinelli?

[Cashew]

Democrats will want him gone, Republicans will want him gone. But if it was a Republican, then the Democrats would want him gone and Republicans would say he was the real victim.

Probably. If he stays on, Republicans will use him to justify all sorts of much worse behavior for decades.

[Mister Mets]

No. It seems to be a joke he made a generation before he sought public office. It would set a bad precedent.

[NYSforKennedy2024]

This man not only butchers his apology but comes off as passive-aggressively not even sorry.

“Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive.

“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.

“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.”

[Crumpets]

I'll wait to see what his response is. If he takes responsibility, apologizes, and seems sincere, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate. If not, he should go. I think if you believe in redemption, you should feel the same way. One mistake should not define us, unless it seems clear that you have learned nothing from your mistake - as was the case with Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent Franken.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'll wait to see what his response is. If he takes responsibility, apologizes, and seems sincere, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate. If not, he should go. I think if you believe in redemption, you should feel the same way. One mistake should not define us, unless it seems clear that you have learned nothing from your mistake - as was the case with Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent Franken.

Why didn't you give Roy Moore the "benefit of the doubt?" There obviously is actual evidence of wrongdoing on Northam's part.

[NYSforKennedy2024]

I'll wait to see what his response is. If he takes responsibility, apologizes, and seems sincere, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate. If not, he should go. I think if you believe in redemption, you should feel the same way. One mistake should not define us, unless it seems clear that you have learned nothing from your mistake - as was the case with Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent Franken.

I posted his response above.

[Suburbia]

I'll wait to see what his response is. If he takes responsibility, apologizes, and seems sincere, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate. If not, he should go. I think if you believe in redemption, you should feel the same way. One mistake should not define us, unless it seems clear that you have learned nothing from your mistake - as was the case with Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent Franken.

Virginia governors are one term governors. His political career is finished unless he runs for Warner or Kaine's seat if they retire.

[Technocracy Timmy]

and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate.

I thought he couldn’t serve consecutive terms as Governor of Virginia?

[OneJ]

Yes.

I simply feel he should’ve been upfront with this no matter what his intentions were. I’m pretty sure he felt like this was something he needed to hide, but why? Was it really a “joke” or something deeper? Fairfax would serve as a much better Governor for Virginia anyway.

[Crumpets]

I'll wait to see what his response is. If he takes responsibility, apologizes, and seems sincere, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate. If not, he should go. I think if you believe in redemption, you should feel the same way. One mistake should not define us, unless it seems clear that you have learned nothing from your mistake - as was the case with Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent Franken.

Why didn't you give Roy Moore the "benefit of the doubt?" There obviously is actual evidence of wrongdoing on Northam's part.

1. What does Roy Moore have to do with this?
2. Roy Moore never apologized.
3. There is also actual evidence of wrongdoing on Roy Moore's part. Witness testimony, contrary to Republican belief, is evidence.
4. I never said I am giving Northam the benefit of the doubt, just that I would if he seems sincere in his apology.

Which brings me to:

I'll wait to see what his response is. If he takes responsibility, apologizes, and seems sincere, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate. If not, he should go. I think if you believe in redemption, you should feel the same way. One mistake should not define us, unless it seems clear that you have learned nothing from your mistake - as was the case with Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent Franken.

I posted his response above.

Ah yes. Hadn't seen it. He says the right things, but it's hard to tell just from the quotes how sorry he actually is.

and leave it up to the voters in 2021 to decide his fate.

I thought he couldn’t serve consecutive terms as Governor of Virginia?

You're correct. I was forgetting this.

[Mister Mets]

I do have to say I respect the ideological consistency of any liberals calling for his resignation even though it would be a stupid and unprecedented move for demanding resignation for something anyone did in medical school that wasn't a crime.

[RINO Tom]

Yeah.

[GP270watch]

 He should resign, he isn't owed the Governorship. This image is hurtful and trivializes what was America's worst terrorist group. A group who's sole purpose and function was to destroy Black progress in business, politics, and equality.

[Suburbia]

Yes, he should resign and put this to bed. He should have known that in 1984, the KKK is bad. Shame on him. But it is a free country.

[Hammy]

Yes (not a hypocrite)

[MassBlueDog]

No. 

I spoke about this on the other thread, but life is about change.  30 years is a long time.  Northam has proved in his public record that he cares about minorities and African-Americans.  He was one of the first politicians to call for the removal of confederate monuments in Charlottesville after the rally.  What he did was horrible, but I believe that he has changed.

I do believe that if he did this in the last five years he should resign. 

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Furthermore, this would mean ceding the lieutenant governorship to a Republican, since they're the ones who control the State Senate.

Ah. I was about to say that he should resign, but if that is the case then I am not sure and perhaps he should not. Any Republican who would become Lt. Gov would almost certainly be more racist and worse than Northam. If the Lt. Gov would be a Dem though, then Northam should resign.

It is also pretty shocking that nobody caught this in opposition research. The D and R parties both ought to have thorough internal investigations into how their opposition researchers didn't catch this. Clearly they both have major problems.

[Rookie Yinzer]

He should resign, he isn't owed the Governorship. This image is hurtful and trivializes what was America's worst terrorist group. A group who's sole purpose and function was to destroy Black progress in business, politics, and equality.

This. The white men in this thread pontificating about people changing and this “not being a crime” is SICKENING.

[Crumpets]

He should resign, he isn't owed the Governorship. This image is hurtful and trivializes what was America's worst terrorist group. A group who's sole purpose and function was to destroy Black progress in business, politics, and equality.

This. The white men in this thread pontificating about people changing and this “not being a crime” is SICKENING.

I agree with your "not being a crime" point, but do you really think that people can't have a genuine change of heart over 25 years? I'm genuinely asking. Northam seems like he has spent the better part of his 12+ years in public office working to protect minority rights, the rights of the working class, and counter the Confederate legacy in Virginia. Does that really not make up for this to the point that he needs to resign immediately? Better question, is there anything he could do ever that would be able to make up for this, and if so, what?

[MassBlueDog]

He should resign, he isn't owed the Governorship. This image is hurtful and trivializes what was America's worst terrorist group. A group who's sole purpose and function was to destroy Black progress in business, politics, and equality.

This. The white men in this thread pontificating about people changing and this “not being a crime” is SICKENING.

Don't assume things.  I'm non-white and I'm pontificating about people changing.

[lfromnj]

He should resign, he isn't owed the Governorship. This image is hurtful and trivializes what was America's worst terrorist group. A group who's sole purpose and function was to destroy Black progress in business, politics, and equality.

This. The white men in this thread pontificating about people changing and this “not being a crime” is SICKENING.

Uh how is this a crime?

lol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_v._Ohio

[Frodo]

He should, though I harbor suspicions that the GOP released this info precisely because he has proven to be so productive (at least if you're a Democrat) as our governor.  With both NARAL and the NAACP condemning him and calling for him to step down, he is pretty much done regardless.

Here's to hoping that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax will be as effective as Governor Northam has been... 

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Never (not a hypocrite).