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

[Crumpets]

Yes, he should resign.

People do change. However, with things like this, bring them out yourself. Let people know that you have changed. When you campaign, let people know that your are human. If he had revealed this during his campaign, perhaps he wouldn't have been elected. However, it would have given his record since then more time to show who he really is. Now people feel betrayed and it seems like he was keeping secrets. Considering the nature of the KKK, someone who wasn't upfront about this, even if it was "just" a joke, is hard to trust. Membership is secret, etc.

So, yes, he should resign. He wasn't upfront about something horrible in his past and it will be difficult for anyone to trust him now, especially as race is still a real and present issue and the KKK happily destroyed lives and families just because someone had more melanin in their skin. That's not something to joke about, and while we all make said mistakes, honesty is always the best policy.

This is the best argument I have seen for resignation so far.

[Del Tachi]

Yes, he should.  I don't think it particularly matters if he's had a sincere change or heart or has legitimately advocated for the Black community while in public service.  Calls for Northam to resign have been quite loud from national Democrats (including Phil Scott, chair of the DGA), 2020 presidential contenders, and influential groups like the NAACP and NARAL.  When these types of figures/groups abandon you, part of representing your constituency to the best of your ability is to resign.  He's lost too much support.  If he continues in office, it'll be a stain on Virginia for the remainder of his term.  A selfless public servant would resign in this case.

If Northam presses too hard, I don't think it's out of the question that Jeff Bezos (who is an avowed liberal) calls the Governor's office next week and says "If you don't go, HQ2 isn't coming to Virginia".  Northam would have no choice but to resign at that point. 

[Cashew]

The mental gymnastics you hopeless libs will do to defend a racist is despicable

Being so desperate for a gotcha that you would lie this blatantly is beyond pathetic.

[Frodo]

The mental gymnastics you hopeless libs will do to defend a racist is despicable

----

Trump is a really bad example for you to follow.  I'd suggest you cease and desist immediately.  

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

No, I don't find this a reasonable standard for insisting people resign. People can't grow and become more enlightened?  Or they have to make a big display of how much they've changed in order to preempt anything bad coming out about them when they were young?

Honestly this ticks me off.  As strongly as I disagree with him on abortion and some other issues, he's been highly effective at governing and working out bipartisan solutions with the legislature and it would be a shame to lose him to a more doctrinaire lefty with less proven experience.

[Frodo]

No, I don't find this a reasonable standard for insisting people resign. People can't grow and become more enlightened?  Or they have to make a big display of how much they've changed in order to preempt anything bad coming out about them when they were young?

Honestly this ticks me off.  As strongly as I disagree with him on abortion and some other issues, he's been highly effective at governing and working out bipartisan solutions with the legislature and it would be a shame to lose him to a more doctrinaire lefty with less proven experience.

Governor Northam is being asked to resign precisely because he would no longer be an effective governor as a result of this scandal.  I think people are more outraged at his failure of disclosure when we had the chance to judge him at the ballot box than at his youthful misdeeds/indiscretions themselves.  I personally would have been willing to overlook all of this had he been upfront about his past during the 2017 gubernatorial campaign, and showed through his record how he had changed -and I doubt I would be alone in this sentiment.  Had he played his cards right, he could have turned his past into an asset. But he chose to cover it up instead.  And now he's paying the price.  

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

No, I don't find this a reasonable standard for insisting people resign. People can't grow and become more enlightened?  Or they have to make a big display of how much they've changed in order to preempt anything bad coming out about them when they were young?

(Snip)

This. Encouraging him to resign does nothing to encourage people to change their views and become “better and more progressive.” If they’re going to be attacked 30 years later, why should they bother?

It's unreasonable that a racist joke in your early 20s should disqualify you from work forever.

Beto O'Rourke drove drunk, which is much more harmful and dangerous, and people want him to be president.

You know what? I agree with Mortimer on this. I don’t really like saying that, but I do agree with that post. Posing in a KKK robe or Blackface is pretty damn insensitive even if done for a costume party. He really should have known better, especially as a young adult in medical school (and not just some stupid 18 year old college freshman). However, this caused no physical harm nor did it have the realistic potential to do so. That doesn’t excuse it, but Mortimer is right on this one.

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.

This. I’m tired of crocodile tears from the right. They let openly racist people stay in their party, encourage meaningless censure votes, and continue to push racially biased policies and judges. Look at the president’s behavior in office versus Northam’s. I think you’ll find a difference. A big difference.

I'm going to try and sum up my thoughts on this issue right now, although I'm not entirely sure what to think. I'm open to hearing other peoples' viewpoints on the matter.

The photo in the yearbook is inappropriate and disgusting - no question about it. However, the fact remains that, as far as we can tell it was essentially a case of college students doing insensitive things 35 years ago. While this doesn't absolve Northam of responsibility for his actions, and an apology is clearly necessary, his record has been solid ever since, and there's no indication that he's advanced racist thoughts or policies during his time as a public figure.

And before anyone brings up Kavanaugh/MeToo accusations, I see that as a false equivalency for two major reasons. Firstly, sexual assault is a violent crime which can destroy other peoples' lives, while dressing up in blackface as a college student is in all likelihood a tone-deaf joke made by, at the time, ignorant people, which directly hurts nobody but themselves - a more deft comparison would be the James Gunn controversy. It's not hard to see why one should be treated with more caution than the other unless you don't understand the impact that sexual assault and harassment has on its victims. Secondly, Northam is already in office, and while something like this photo or the Gunn tweets would make me less likely to vote for someone or hire them if I were in the position to do so, I don't think that it should automatically disqualify you from a job you already have and that you've otherwise done well in.

(Snipped)

Lastly, I'm gonna quote this from the other thread, because I agree with it completely:

[T]he faux outrage from conservatives is really pissing me off.  After saying that Kavanaugh should be given the excuse of "it was a long time ago", you can't retroactively change that view.

Quoting this one to highlight the Kavanaugh comparison and the quote from MassBlueDog.

[Alabama_Indy10]

It's unreasonable that a racist joke in your early 20s should disqualify you from work forever.

Beto O'Rourke drove drunk, which is much more harmful and dangerous, and people want him to be president.

Honestly, I’m kinda with you on this. This week has been awful for Northam but it’s all been his own doing. His abortion comments were absolutely disgusting and this is just as bad. I’m sure we’ve all done things in our past that we aren’t proud of. I’m sure Northam has changed since these pictures were taken. I do believe resigning would be the honorable thing to do, however.

[Big Abraham]

Most definitely. But not because of the blackface thing, because honestly, who cares

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

No, I don't find this a reasonable standard for insisting people resign. People can't grow and become more enlightened?  Or they have to make a big display of how much they've changed in order to preempt anything bad coming out about them when they were young?

Honestly this ticks me off.  As strongly as I disagree with him on abortion and some other issues, he's been highly effective at governing and working out bipartisan solutions with the legislature and it would be a shame to lose him to a more doctrinaire lefty with less proven experience.

Governor Northam is being asked to resign precisely because he would no longer be an effective governor as a result of this scandal.  I think people are more outraged at his failure of disclosure when we had the chance to judge him at the ballot box than at his youthful misdeeds/indiscretions themselves.  I personally would have been willing to overlook all of this had he been upfront about his past during the 2017 gubernatorial campaign, and showed through his record how he had changed -and I doubt I would be alone in this sentiment.  Had he played his cards right, he could have turned his past into an asset. But he chose to cover it up instead.  And now he's paying the price.   

The idea that he should have been upfront is a big part of what I find odd about this.  Can we really assume this was a defining moment in his life, that he can be expected to dwell on it and publicly reflect on it as he is trying to introduce himself to the electorate ?   

Some public figures, like Obama, are very confessional.  They like to tell all about the turmoil of their inner lives.  But not everyone is like that.  Some people would rather live in their present day, and leave shameful episodes and regrets within the recesses of their own memories instead of digging them up and presenting them for for all to see.  And that should be okay.

[Hammy]

The mental gymnastics you hopeless libs will do to defend a racist is despicable

There are more blue avatars defending him than red.

[Southern Delegate matthew27]

I think he should have resigned for wanting to kill BABIES. This? Are we really going to go back 25 years and destroy someones life for being stupid??? How many of you can say that you never said anything offensive 25 years ago or did something stupid.

Ask yourself if this is a good idea to do this to this man for this reason.

[Rookie Yinzer]

I was initially of the opinion that he should as that's the more practical option, but now I'm not so sure. Assuming this was only some stupid edgy joke, as I suspect it was, it should not constitute the grounds for resignation. I would go as far as saying that many of the calls for his resignation are simply virtue signaling and nothing more. And someone in the Democratic Party has to stand their ground against this. Forcing a premature end to someone's political career because of a tasteless joke when they were a young idiot is not acceptable.

Expecting the party that relies on the votes of black people to win elections to defend someone who either dressed up as a horrific racist caricature or as a member of a terrorist group that killed, raped, and maimed their ancestors is literally white privilege.

Anyway, he can not effectively govern from this point forward. The GOP won't let him live this down and there is no way that black legislators can work with him without this incident hanging over like a dark cloud. He's useless.

Most definitely. But not because of the blackface thing, because honestly, who cares

Are you serious? Blackface was and has been used to reduce the identities of black people to nothing more as theatrical characters for white amusement. It is obscenely racist and disqualifying for anybody wanting to serve as a public leader.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I think he should have resigned for wanting to kill BABIES. This? Are we really going to go back 25 years and destroy someones life for being stupid??? How many of you can say that you never said anything offensive 25 years ago or did something stupid.

Ask yourself if this is a good idea to do this to this man for this reason.

*35 years. 

[Rookie Yinzer]

I think he should have resigned for wanting to kill BABIES. This? Are we really going to go back 25 years and destroy someones life for being stupid??? How many of you can say that you never said anything offensive 25 years ago or did something stupid.

Ask yourself if this is a good idea to do this to this man for this reason.

He dressed up as a Klan member. The Ku Klux Klan used to lynch pregnant black women, rip babies from their wombs, and stomp them to death. But I doubt you knew or cared.

[Big Abraham]

Most definitely. But not because of the blackface thing, because honestly, who cares

Are you serious? Blackface was and has been used to reduce the identities of black people to nothing more as theatrical characters for white amusement. It is obscenely racist and disqualifying for anybody wanting to serve as a public leader.

Yes I'm absolutely serious, and the fake moral outrage displayed by the liberals on the forum is hilarious. I don't care how blackface "was and has been used" in a historical sense, and something is only racist if done with hostile intent, and this was obviously done for humour. Who cares? Liberals remind me of puritans these days, I swear

[henster]

So tired of people harping about his abortion comment which were clearly mischaracterized, I don't know why it needs to be said that a pediatrician absolutely doesn't support infantcide. The worst part about this is pro-lifers will come away from this with a sense of satisfaction.  I just hope the abortion bill is one of the first things Gov. Fairfax signs after Dems win.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Most definitely. But not because of the blackface thing, because honestly, who cares

Are you serious? Blackface was and has been used to reduce the identities of black people to nothing more as theatrical characters for white amusement. It is obscenely racist and disqualifying for anybody wanting to serve as a public leader.

Yes I'm absolutely serious, and the fake moral outrage displayed by the liberals on the forum is hilarious. I don't care how blackface "was and has been used" in a historical sense, and something is only racist if done with hostile intent, and this was obviously done for humour. Who cares? Liberals remind me of puritans these days, I swear

There's nothing fake about my outrage. I am black and those images spurred a visceral response in me. Reducing the oppression of an entire race of people into a joke is racist. Racism is not just about burning crosses and committing violent acts. There is nothing remotely funny about the dehumanization of black people. Those images and the stereotypes they portray have had real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities. There is nothing about dressing up as a Klan member that was obviously done for humor. You are painstakingly ignorant and tone-deaf.

[Big Abraham]

There's nothing fake about my outrage. I am black and those images spurred a visceral response in me. Reducing the oppression of an entire race of people into a joke is racist. Racism is not just about burning crosses and committing violent acts. There is nothing remotely funny about the dehumanization of black people. Those images and the stereotypes they portray have had real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities. There is nothing about dressing up as a Klan member that was obviously done for humor. You are painstakingly ignorant and tone-deaf.

Keep in mind I wasn't only talking about you. And yes, I understand the humour was dark, but there is a lot of humour to be found in suffering, and going around being the "joke police" isn't going to get you anywhere in life. You have obviously found his joke to be in poor taste - that's fine, but it doesn't disqualify him from office or even warrant an apology. Can you explain to me how this image in any way has "real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities", other than proving offensive to some?

[henster]

There's nothing fake about my outrage. I am black and those images spurred a visceral response in me. Reducing the oppression of an entire race of people into a joke is racist. Racism is not just about burning crosses and committing violent acts. There is nothing remotely funny about the dehumanization of black people. Those images and the stereotypes they portray have had real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities. There is nothing about dressing up as a Klan member that was obviously done for humor. You are painstakingly ignorant and tone-deaf.

Keep in mind I wasn't only talking about you. And yes, I understand the humour was dark, but there is a lot of humour to be found in suffering, and going around being the "joke police" isn't going to get you anywhere in life. You have obviously found his joke to be in poor taste - that's fine, but it doesn't disqualify him from office or even warrant an apology. Can you explain to me how this image in any way has "real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities", other than proving offensive to some?

Ideally policies should matter more than anything I don't recall Northam doing harm to black communities in his time as a public servant. That should matter more than anything he did 35 years ago, there are politicians who may not have a racist photo of them but are enacting racist policies. Voter suppression being chiefly one of them while Northam continued the policy of re-enfranchsing felons and made the brave call to remove Confederate statues.

[Rookie Yinzer]

There's nothing fake about my outrage. I am black and those images spurred a visceral response in me. Reducing the oppression of an entire race of people into a joke is racist. Racism is not just about burning crosses and committing violent acts. There is nothing remotely funny about the dehumanization of black people. Those images and the stereotypes they portray have had real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities. There is nothing about dressing up as a Klan member that was obviously done for humor. You are painstakingly ignorant and tone-deaf.

Keep in mind I wasn't only talking about you. And yes, I understand the humour was dark, but there is a lot of humour to be found in suffering, and going around being the "joke police" isn't going to get you anywhere in life. You have obviously found his joke to be in poor taste - that's fine, but it doesn't disqualify him from office or even warrant an apology. Can you explain to me how this image in any way has "real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities", other than proving offensive to some?

There is nothing humorous about the Ku Klux Klan and it absolutely did warrant an apology. He was possibly dressed up as a member of a terrorist group that murdered black people for 100 years without consequence. What public leader can hold office and not be held accountable for that?

As for an explanation--- For decades many whites only saw images of black people through white minstrel show performances of blackface. This was one of the most popular forms of entertainments for generations. When you have images of black people as shiftless, criminal, lazy, promiscuous, deviant, and morally bankrupt you don't think that shapes the way the dominant white society interacts with black people? How many black people have been killed or harassed because someone white was suspicious of their behavior? These stereotypes pervaded our society through minstrel shows. It's not funny and I'm not here for it.

There is no way this man could continue to govern this state with any legitimacy.

[Rookie Yinzer]

There's nothing fake about my outrage. I am black and those images spurred a visceral response in me. Reducing the oppression of an entire race of people into a joke is racist. Racism is not just about burning crosses and committing violent acts. There is nothing remotely funny about the dehumanization of black people. Those images and the stereotypes they portray have had real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities. There is nothing about dressing up as a Klan member that was obviously done for humor. You are painstakingly ignorant and tone-deaf.

Keep in mind I wasn't only talking about you. And yes, I understand the humour was dark, but there is a lot of humour to be found in suffering, and going around being the "joke police" isn't going to get you anywhere in life. You have obviously found his joke to be in poor taste - that's fine, but it doesn't disqualify him from office or even warrant an apology. Can you explain to me how this image in any way has "real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities", other than proving offensive to some?

Ideally policies should matter more than anything I don't recall Northam doing harm to black communities in his time as a public servant. That should matter more than anything he did 35 years ago, there are politicians who may not have a racist photo of them but are enacting racist policies. Voter suppression being chiefly one of them while Northam continued the policy of re-enfranchsing felons and made the brave call to remove Confederate statues.

Expanding Medicaid and not undoing McAuliffe's voter enfranchisement policy should warrant absolution from being a racist prick who won't even own up to whether he was dressed as the blackface guy or the Klan member? Got it.

[Big Abraham]

There's nothing fake about my outrage. I am black and those images spurred a visceral response in me. Reducing the oppression of an entire race of people into a joke is racist. Racism is not just about burning crosses and committing violent acts. There is nothing remotely funny about the dehumanization of black people. Those images and the stereotypes they portray have had real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities. There is nothing about dressing up as a Klan member that was obviously done for humor. You are painstakingly ignorant and tone-deaf.

Keep in mind I wasn't only talking about you. And yes, I understand the humour was dark, but there is a lot of humour to be found in suffering, and going around being the "joke police" isn't going to get you anywhere in life. You have obviously found his joke to be in poor taste - that's fine, but it doesn't disqualify him from office or even warrant an apology. Can you explain to me how this image in any way has "real life and sometimes fatal consequences for black communities", other than proving offensive to some?

There is nothing humorous about the Ku Klux Klan and it absolutely did warrant an apology. He was possibly dressed up as a member of a terrorist group that murdered black people for 100 years without consequence. What public leader can hold office and not be held accountable for that?

As for an explanation--- For decades many whites only saw images of black people through white minstrel show performances of blackface. This was one of the most popular forms of entertainments for generations. When you have images of black people as shiftless, criminal, lazy, promiscuous, deviant, and morally bankrupt you don't think that shapes the way the dominant white society interacts with black people? How many black people have been killed or harassed because someone white was suspicious of their behavior? These stereotypes pervaded our society through minstrel shows. It's not funny and I'm not here for it.

There is no way this man could continue to govern this state with any legitimacy.

Where in Northam's picture is any of that? And so long as there is a society capable of differentiating between what is humour and what is an actual policy declaration, there is no reason to assume any form of racist humour is harmful. Humour of this kind plays on the fact that these stereotypes exist in the first place, and ignoring them and refusing to tackle them as a subject of comedy won't make them go away, and indeed may make them stronger. Once again, you may not think it's funny, and frankly I don't really either, but neither you nor I are the arbiters of comedy

Why are we automatically assuming that blackface, no matter the context, is racist? We have to take things at face value as they exist now, and needlessly reading "black people having been killed and harassed" or whatever historical argument you have to drum up just because those people in the past were ill-intentioned and somehow superficially similar to what's being done here. Whatever.

[Blair]

Why are you defending black face on an Internet forum?

[Del Tachi]

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.

Just like what happened with George Wallace?