WFB: Let the record reflect that when news broke late Friday that Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook contained a picture of him in either blackface or a Klan outfit, I was the only one in the informal Free Beacon office pool to predict he’d last through the weekend. As I am now writing about sitting Virginia governor Ralph Northam on a Tuesday, I’m feeling rather pleased with myself.
What made the prediction easy is that while people can change, they tend not to. It’s not as though blackface or the Ku Klux Klan were acceptable in 1984. The sort of person who was bold and shameless enough to take the photo back then is probably going to be bold and shameless enough to believe he can get away with it today.
You can make the case, as Charles Cooke does over at NRO, that the photo in isolation is not a resignation-worthy and it is “downright illiberal” to “force a resignation from a man on the grounds of a mistake he made 34 years ago.” Others might counter that the photo is so racist that he cannot conceivably maintain the confidence of his constituents even decades later.
That’s all been made irrelevant by the way Northam has reacted. At first, he did the right thing and apologized “for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo.” But as early as Saturday morning, the Associated Press reported that Northam was privately telling Democrats that he wasn’t in the photo. He then proceeded to go public with that claim, saying in a press conference, “I believe now and then that I am not either of the people in this photo.”
Bizarrely, Northam then admitted that he does remember doing blackface when dressing up as Michael Jackson. “I had the shoes, I had a glove and I used just a little bit of shoe polish to put under, or on my cheeks,” he said. “The reason I used a very little bit is because, I don’t know if anybody has ever tried that, but you cannot get shoe polish off.” Northam smiled when asked by a reporter to moonwalk, and only chose not to when his wife chimed in about the “inappropriate circumstances.”
Now it’s being reported that Northam has hired a private investigator to clear his name. One can only imagine how that conversation is going to go down: “I found out who spread the allegation that it was Ralph Northam in the blackface photo. It was Ralph Northam. That’ll be ten grand.”
It’s almost irrelevant whether Northam is or was a racist when it is abundantly clear that he does not give a damn about his black constituents, or anyone but himself for that matter. He apologized—because he thought it would save his job. He backtracked—to save his job. He shows no remorse, no shame, no judgment. He’s so dense, he thinks that it’s somehow exculpatory to admit he once wore blackface when denying he was in a blackface photo. keep reading
Apparently, being a liar, a hypocrite, a racist, and/or a nihilistic socialist is not an impediment to higher office in Virginia.
While the Demonrats seem to have a lock on it, it may be bi-partisan – I seem to recall some pretty sleazy Repubes out of Virgina.
Ah well. Representative Republic! It’s great, isn’t it?
At least until our educational level falls below that of sea slugs.
izlamo delenda est …
As a 12 year old 7th grade white boy in 1970 I dressed as Aunt Jemima black face and all for Halloween . Does this disqualify me for public office?
Yup
Dear Black Americans, Blue Americans, Red, Purple, Yellow and White Americans,
Lord Fairfax post 2-1
Tried to tell you’all for decades that the DNC is owned and oped by the KKK. It was, is and probably always will be. You have been fooled. But now many Eyes are starting to open.
This is Karma calling you. The Darma Karma Project.
The tippy top of THAT party is wholly owned. Their upper members are paid players. They operate on Commodities. You.
Unshackle thy self.
Come to the RIGHT side of LIFE.
@Just. Entirely depends what party affiliation you elect to run under. If (D), just explain that in 7th grade you identified an overweight black woman who appeared completely happy and confident with her position. Now you have transitioned to whatever will get you the most votes. Again, for a Democrat, I have in mind a bare bottomed, chap wearing, black vest and hat, drag cowboy outfit – possibly with a whip. But I live in Texas and am in a particularly weird mood this morning.
Coonman! Just a random nickname, KKKame out of a random name generator I can’t remember but I trust other people for my memory of those times.
REPEATING FOR ALL NEEDING:
“Yes Virginia, there is a Satan.”
I dislike roach infestations for many good reasons but, I admire the evolutionary level that they have attained. I had dinner at the home of a very rich person in Dallas some years ago and when done, he suggested that we head to the library for a game of backgammon and let the roaches have their turn…I laughed and made some comment regarding his exaggeration but he protested and pointed out three roaches he could see and how still they were in the shadows of the dinning board. I was amazed, among other thoughts, and we got up and went out a few feet where he stopped motioning silence. A moment later he dragged me back, turned on the light and there were a few dozen roaches on the table scrambling for leftovers. I call them Democrats he said, disgusting and yet evolved to survive despite mankind’s efforts to eradicate them. He noted how flies used to be a bigger problem than roaches but that the fly swatter invention along with the fly’s insistence on landing in your space in daylight had lead to their control. However, Roaches, like Democrats, are an evolved species that has survived using a different genetic path. Democrats are not as fully evolved as noble civilized humans but they are intelligent enough to hide in plain sight, come out in swarms, lack a need for empathy, and as roaches , build nothing not even a nest. While it took some years for me to begin to understand the Leftist mind, unconnected to reality and the creator of non existent relationships, I took on his interest in Roaches. Years later, while sailing in South America, I spotted a roach in the galley and with a damp boat, these things will ruin your life when they take hold…Democrat…I picked up a fly swatter some 4 feet away and knew that I had a direct shot but as the swing started the roach merely fell from the counter to the floor…what kind of bug does that? He was then gone..the poorly put point is that a Democrat is an escape artist, is not encumbered by morals, can hold a thousand conflicting opinions and success in life is in no way related to honor, integrity or morality but the ability to ignore evil activities as if there was no such thing as right and wrong in a purely happenstance universe. Northam is applying his tricks to the situation and hopes that others in the Left will begin to support his continued existence as a Governor. He has made the job difficult, but is counting upon time as his fellow sub humans have no permanent convictions either…so we shall see…
Anon,
“a Democrat is an escape artist, is not encumbered by morals, can hold a thousand conflicting opinions and success in life is in no way related to honor, integrity or morality but the ability to ignore evil activities as if there was no such thing as right and wrong”
Well said. The only question the left cares about is “do you hold power?” If yes then here is a blank check to do whatever- leave a girl to drown in the car you drunk drove off a bridge AND your a sitting senator- covered. Rape countless women but you are a sitting Gov and then POTUS- covered. Openly talk about infanticide AND have a photo of your past where you are either in black face or a KKK hood and robe but you are a sitting governor- covered.
This is the world we live in today and the GOP is too stupid to understand the landscape of the battlefield because they are too stupid to realize there is a battle taking place.
Now the Democrat (the Party of Robert KKK Bird) Attorney General from Virginia has admitted that he too wore blackface
Anyone else recognize a pattern here?
https://mobile.twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1093187283883302912
Told ya that ahh shucks ChuckleDummy on Fox was a Big Dummy.
Stirewalt is pissed his buds are getting OUT-TED.
ChuckleDummy say what?
JDHasty I heard that today. Damn, Virginia! lol
and the DEMocRATS wore their white robes to the SOTUS…..
How fitting…! ! !
According to liberal law, things that happened 34 years ago are relevant even if you can’t remember.
Sorry, those are your own rules liberals!