for, who did nothing so egregious that it warrants his resignation, trumps your feelings! There needs to be some sense of proportion in the calling of someone so racist that you get to decide their fate based on how you feel about it.

David Duke is one extreme and the Governor is at the other. Black face and lynching are racist but not in the same proportion.

Good people have done minor bad things in their lives. Some have made apologies. But it is wrong to deny society the benefit of there goodness today because of it.

Sometimes I think people need to get over themselves. And if you label me racist, I don't give shit. It means nothing to anybody who knows or lives with me or has ever spent time with me in my 72 years.

The rest of the world does not have to measure up to your standard.

The poster who wrote that needs to get over herself?


"The rest of the world does not have to measure up to your standard."

It's not my standard. It's the progressive standard. Maybe you need to ask yourself why defending blackface and Klan regalia is a hill you want to die on.

The hypocrisy is obvious and embarrassing

His supporters will excuse anything. Apparently we have people in our camp that will too

not equal. The majority agreement here on this board does not make anything right or wrong.

That photograph and the deed itself do not fit the level of righteous outrage about it.

Do you believe that Spitzer should have resigned?

Are you OK with politicians in either party wearing racist gear? Also, do you think Spitzer should have resigned?

Would you vote for him knowing what you know now?

making him a hypocrite of the highest order, being he was a DA.

and we should forgive him if he truly regrets what he did 35 years ago. But we should still demand his resignation.

He won the Virginia governorship with overwhelming support of the black voter base. They are who propelled him to victory over an anti immigrant campaign by his opponent. If we do not force Northam out, then we lose Virginia and we lose our biggest base of support, black voters.

sickening!!!

If you believe wearing blackface and/or donning a Klan uniform is acceptable there is nothing I can do to disabuse you of that notion.

You are one of the leaders around here. You are aware of how these discussions go. I have actually been on DU longer than you.

You can get as many people you want to pile up on some one.

There are many decent people who agree with me about a sense of proportion and you know it. But saying so does nothing to support your esteem.

Why not just step aside once and watch the herd go over the cliff.

How long have you been on DU, since you brought it up?

In your world, 2017 came before 2003 ... what color is the sky in your world?

If Northam had done this yesterday, I assume you would say it was unacceptable and he should resign... how about if he did it during the election? What if he did it 18 months ago? Where do you draw the “racism is acceptable to me” line? Apparently it is somewhere between now and 35 years... please advise when it becomes unacceptable and your reasoning for that timeframe. Thanks...

displaying a significant lack of empathy. We are not about to go over a cliff, and many decent people have yet to truly understand this from a POC point of view.

But, the photo is way over the line of what is acceptable to remain in office as governor.

If he had lynched someone, he wouldn't just need to go, he'd need to be prosecuted too.

Now, if he had just made some inanae, insensitive remark that would be different, I wouldn't be calling for resignation.

But the photo crosses a line. He needs to go.

if he stepped down, what is the worst that would happen? A black Democrat would become governor?

Did someone go into the Hot Tub Time Machine and force Ralph Northam to wear blackface or don a Klan uniform.

it is, he's toast imo, but what concerns me, in general, (and I'm more looking back to the Franken knifing) is the purity rush to judgement. At least a positive is that Fairfax will take over.

It’s a pretty small school with a pretty small graduating class. If people wanted to benefit from it, they could have used it in an election

They waited for him to say something or want to do something that they did not approve of and slam this shit on his head.

The thing about secrets is that your enemies love your secrets.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

stating how I think it came to light.

And there are likely more such bombs in the arsenal of the RW Trump surrogates. It's going to get worse before it gets better.

Seriously?

Would it be fair to say Ralph Northam is likely not the person now he was then but he has still has to go because of the horrible message countenancing such behavior would send?

Voted W in 2000, 2004. Ex GOPers do not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Period.

At the very least he should of declared his 1984 yearbook in 2017.

I don’t know if he is or was racist. He may be a good guy who did something dumb long ago. But it doesn’t matter.

This isn’t about him. It is about the office of the Governor. Someone else needs to be in it.

How dare they tell me to get over myself? How dare they? That takes next level nerve.

...and to have grown and changed.

Clearly, your standards for egregious conduct are not the same as mine and others and you are certainly entitled to them. Good thing we are too. Very true the other side has demonstrated worse conduct with no consequences. Most of us here on this site are trying to raise the crashing standards of this nation, not conform. For most of those folks, the governor should resign.

to try and understand their point of view. I'd take that before the 'get over yourself' approach.

I posted it as myself in a subthread. I was a member of DU while Northam was voting for Dubya. I was marching against the Iraq war with my children, who are now 20 and 22, on my shoulders. I stand for the rights of others while those same people tell me to get over myself. So, if you have an issue with what I said, here I am. I'm not anonymous. I gave my whole name on a DU thread over 15 years ago when Dubya, thanks in part to people like Northam, won re-election and we all stood arm in arm to declare that we weren't afraid of the future. And, I stand today to say that I'm still not afraid. Not of you or anyone else.

pure racism.

Good.

Unbelievable nonsense being posted today.

He also ran against a Republican. Knowing then what we know now, who would you have voted for?

They'd have voted for a different Democrat.

I think we all know what they would say, or we should, at least.

Would they have voted for him had they known about that photo? I think not.

.... political agenda against a 40 year old example of egregious, but non-criminal, racism, I'm confident that many of the POC that I'm acquainted with would take the practical approach.

That's how Virginia has elected lots of Republicans.

That's still not my point, though. The black voters of Virginia are the ones who are affected by this exposure. I'm sure many of them feel betrayed by Northam's past behavior. I think he should listen to them when they tell him he has lost their trust.

I know nothing about the governor. Nor am I here to defend his actions. But I do want to say we need to stop applying today's standards to the standards of yesteryear. They say at 25, he should have known better. The picture was in the yearbook, which tells me it must have been accepted at the time. I used to be a heavy smoker. It was very acceptable at the time. I've been quit for 15 years now. Different society, different norms now. Point being, I would hate to be held accountable for the norms of 30 years ago today

and I remember those days quite well. It wasn't appropriate then and it's not appropriate now. We knew such stuff was racist as hell. Geezus folks, it's not like it's from the fucking 19th century.

.....here are deeply disturbing. Shocking. BTW, I'm white.

That blindness and tone-deafness, even, or especially, among liberals, is lethal and what the hell are we going to do about it?

This is really disturbing and stomach churning.

No surprise to black people I know.

Maybe the white women here can be made to understand if the image had been of a bloody and terroized woman "posing" with her rapist? And it was being given a pass as just "youthful". Would that make it clear?

It was made in 1985 for God sakes. He was training to be a doctor. This was long after the 1960's Civil Rights movement. Every damn educated white person knew.

He should follow Al Franken's example. We must walk our professed values. There is a good man in the Lt Gov's role that can step in. In the long term, this is better for our party and the nation.

If you have skeletons in the closet, don't run. If you are reformed, there are plenty of other roles you can play. Our nation is drowning in dishonesty and corruption. We need to focus on cleaning up, and we need squeaky-clean leaders to live by the values we wish in our society.


- Old white lady

that put this utterly despicable motherfucker INTO THE WHITE HOUSE!!

Look, it's a huge stretch to suggest that everyone of the 62 million people that voted for Mango Mussolini has a fucking Klan robe and hood in their closet! I know a number of these people. I have some in my extended family....probably hard to find someone at DU that doesn't have one of these in their lives. But it's almost guaranteed that every one of these voters is quick to dismiss the idea that racism played a role in their vote, at least on the subconscious level.

I've been here for 14 years, and can honestly say this is one of the low points at DU for me - to see so many willing to simply hand-wave it away, in the name of "team politics", "whataboutism" re: Chump, "maybe it was the Russians or Roger Stone", etc. ENOUGH!! We need to draw a line in the sand at some point.

racism is finally receiving the attention and scorn it deserves. Yes, blackface and KKK costumes are despicable and this bigot needs to resign.

As an African American and a Virginia Resident, I and my family "was" proud voters for Northam. The African American vote, especially with black women, brought Northam that win.

Doesn't matter if it was 35 years ago. Doesn't matter if he is of good character now. He's a good governor and I'm quite sure Northam is a good man, a good doctor, a good veteran, and NOT a racist.

But that image is there and we all see it. But you also can't dismiss the images of African Americans during Slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow. Watch the 60 Minutes segment on Lynching and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Look at the images of unarmed young men being killed.

Should I tell my two adult black children to dismiss the images of their heritage? So, why should I or any DU member here should easily dismiss images of Northam in either of the two individuals.

I can't take back my vote but Northam can do the right thing and resign.

I have never:
Wore black face
Wore kkk klan attire
Posed with a flag of slave states
Thought people from African countries lived in shit holes
Supported lynching people of color
Posted photos of Obama as a monkey
Referred to African Americans or anyone as apes monkeys etc.

I am sentient enough a being to know that any of these things would disqualify me from leading anything other than a Klan meeting. All of these things and much more would prevent me from voting or supporting any politician that did this or similar obvious racist acts.

I would with deep passion and commitment call for and work towards ending anyones political career for these actions.

I call myself a decent human being and a Democrat. That's who and what I am.
If you can support racism in any form, by anyone, at any time, you may want to examine what you are.

Racism should not be normalized or tolerated under any circumstances

This isn't like some Covington kid who has been immersed in racist schooling. Northam was an adult in medical school. 1984! I am so DONE with this racist crap.

Got it.

Maybe we should put this standard into the party platform.

At the end of the day the only question you should be asking yourself is defending blackface and donning Klan outfits a hill you want to die on.

African Americans are our most loyal constituency and have provided us with our margin of victory in every presidential election since 1964. I'm not going to throw them under the bus for some trifling politician.

Straw man - the person you responded to did not defend the actions - you can say he could be forgiven without defending the action. In fact thinking there is anything to be forgiven for condemns the action.

what’s the hurry? Even a court of law must take its time in order to weigh the preponderance of guilt or innocence.

... intervening 40 years. Knee jerk self-righteousness is not a good thing.

would entail changing your behavior and admitting to it before you run for the highest office in a state... and then allowing that full disclosure to determine whether people believe you and still want to put their trust in you.
Not covering your ass after being called out for previously unknown behavior.

all set to resign at 1pm today. He must have come up with this bright idea over night. It’s killing the party, he needs to resign.

that everyone looks to for role modeling and leadership. I wish him all the "evolution" life grants him, but he doesn't have to be a leader.

If you believe that growth, knowledge, wisdom, and compassion and maturity doesn't change you and he is still the same person he was back in his stupid adolescent years - make him pay for it. Make him resign. If you believe, as I do, that as people age they shed baggage such as prejudice and having a very narrow view of society, then you must believe he is not the person he was 35 years ago. Something about casting the first stone comes to mind.

" Something about casting the first stone comes to mind."


If your argument is let he or she who hasn't put on blackface or donned a Klan uniform cast the first stone you really need to brush up on your rhetorical skills.

My interpretation is that no-one is without fault and we - ALL - need to remember that one's life is a constant change. We need to look at the path one is on now rather than the dark road they stumbled from.

Jesus also said "For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged."

I am very comfortable in asserting I never mocked black peoples pain by putting on blackface or donning a Klan uniform.

Tell you what - I'll continue to believe people can change and evolve and you believe what you want.

I'm not going to trade a constituency that provides us with up to nearly 30% of our presidential popular vote while being only thirteen percent of the population for a trifling politician.

It's not a hill the Democratic party is prepared to die on. That is why everybody in it who is anybody has called for his resignation from NARAL to the NAACP to former Vice President Joe Biden.

Every day this is in the news it portrays our party in a negative light and takes the focus off Trump.

Most see an immediate resignation as the only punishment for a 1984 photo. I understand both sides, is it too much to not be forced to make a judgement immediately?

And, like it or not, who really gives a rat's ass what an out-of-stater like me thinks about Virginia's own elected governor? My judgement means little or nothing.

That being said, Democrats must be seen as the party actually punishing people for their bad behavior regardless of when it happened. I slept on it and have determined that he must resign.

The problem being is that while Democrats hold themselves to a higher standard, will anyone notice?

We have a traitor in the White House who is a thief, a liar, a philanderer and whose minions are being prosecuted. 4 of 10 people in this country support these clowns. I find that hard to reconcile.

Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone. Yes, this racism was egregious. But what's happened over the last 40 years? It is certainly grounds for examining his recent behavior more closely than we might otherwise. But, hey... Whoever is without sin...

Would this same argument apply to Kavanaugh?

I think Northam should resign. I also thought it was right for Franken to resign. We can't claim the mantle of not tolerating racism or misogyny and then fail to enforce those morals in our own party.

The argument that blackface and lynching aren't the same would be true if the person in question held a much less important position. I would be embarrassed for my mail carrier if this were a photo of them but I don't think they should stop driving a mail truck. I do question whether a person who so glibly expressed racist tolerance was capable of deciding public policy.

Please stop confusing 1984 with 1884, too. 1984 wasn't so far in the past that blatant racism was 'just how things were.'

Stands with you.

Actually I'm more of a dirty white boy, maybe that has something to do with why I'm not a racist piece of crap.

It's horrifying to know that we have this many racism apologists on our side simply because it's a Democrat.

I'm not defending the behavior at all. It was egregious racism. But when decades old bad behavior causes knee jerk self-righteousness I think it is a bad thing regardless of the target.

I was only a teenager then but even I knew that wearing a KKK hood and/or blackface was outright fucking racist. As someone in their 20's Northam sure as fuck should have known better. That's not being self righteous that's just holding a public figure to the same standard I would hold myself, even though I was much younger at that time.

We're not talking Robert Byrd in the 50's here.

Here I am if anyone wants to address me personally.

Reading some of the comments in this thread is disheartening. Of course wearing black face and/or posing in a Klan robe and hood is horrible. He should resign.

The same is true with other posters who routinely post about moderating progressive policies to win over so called Obama Democrats, or post negatively every time AOC is mentioned.

While I don’t agree with a rush to judgement until facts are know, ala Al Franken, Northam admitted it was him in the picture. If we as a party can overlook this, we are no better than the other side.

the Democratic party if you know what I mean.

He must resign.