KnR

And why hasn't the idiot resigned yet? Is he planning on giving more advice on shoe polish?

...and his acolyte Roger Stone is taking time from his legal troubles to toast whoever came up with the latest.

When Fairfax moves into the Governorship, the state legislature, which is Republican-controlled, votes to pick his replacement, so they will obviously pick a Republican. Then, all they need is a little ratfucking of Fairfax to get him out of the Governorship to move their newly minted Republican Lieutenant Governor into the Governorship. Ratfucking of Fairfax has already begun, like this, brought to you by the same right wing outfit that brought the Northam pic to light: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5c585554e4b00187b5534dd0

After that, the GOP legislature installs a new Lieutenant Governor in place of the one that was just elevated to Governor. And voila, they get Republikkkans in both the Governorship and Lieutenant Governorship that they could not do by way of a democratic election.

It's also not enough to win on, I think. It wasn't a direct racist act, like the guy in FL who did a horrendous blackface 15 years ago when he was in his mid-30s, with red lipstick, and a sign "Katrina victim." That's pretty overt.

Or it could be they discovered it after the election but a few weeks ago.

Democrats need to do this kind of background searching. This should have been unearthed long before now.

but if Democrats don't do better vetting then we are the losers.

clamor, e.g., Franken. We can let our own righteousness get in our way. I think Northam should resign, but let’s not fall for the Fairfax ratf*kng.

Should any politician who has something embarrassing in their closet go full disclosure now so that it can't be used against them at a weak/difficult moment? Should they pre-emptively resign? I get the outrage about Northam- and his attempts to publicly respond to it were extremely clueless and tone-deaf- but I want to seriously know what the game plan is going to be from here on out. Northam isn't the first Democratic pol we've thrown overboard in order to maintain our ability to maintain "clean hands" while politically attacking Republican hypocrites like Trump, Roy Moore, et. al and he won't be the last but this- helping ignite public controversies over Democratic politicians whom upset them and/or Trump- seems to be how Republicans plan to maintain/increase their hold on power.

B. As Pierce says, get wiser to Rs ratfcking and learn how to forestall it.

He uses Acorn as an example. I believe the Democrats were wrong to ditch Acorn. I also believe Northam needs to go. We need to hold on to our values and learn better how to communicate when we are standing our ground or not.

ACORN did nothing wrong but was set up. Northam did plenty wrong, set himself up, and then continued to do plenty wrong.

Our leaders (Pelosi, Schumer, Obama, Perez) need to manage and coordinate the response to crap like this. Not elected individuals independently.

And have them subject themselves to being Republican targets too?

Entirely contrived and showed a weak kneed response. It is nothing like the Northam situation. I agree however that we need to learn to get out ahead of the ratfu##ing because Republicans will continue to do it as their policies become less and less popular with actual human beings.

beings”. I love it!!

NT.

or something similarly racist, a photo that appeared in a publication that many people obtained, even more people saw, and is likely still in numerous people's possession, who wants to run for office as a Democrat and will depend on the support of African Americans should reveal the existence of, explain, and apologize for said photo before a third-rate right-wing rag finds it and smacks them and their African-American supporters and their allies in the face with it.

That's a pretty logical place to start, don't you think?

Failing that?

post 33 above.

Do we have the party do a thorough vetting of all of the party candidates? Also, how do you define, "compromising"? Obviously, there are some definite examples but given that we're asking somebody to resign who did something embarrassingly racist 34 years ago, it seems like we've got our work cut out for us in terms of thoroughly vetting candidates. Should we "re-vet" current elected officeholders?

to imagine not having some "interesting" events during those period that I'd rather not have be called out.

Now, of course, in these days of mass surveillance and ubiquitous video/phone recorders, the chances of not having some indelible memories available for research is much slimmer.

It's what I've been saying, or trying to say, for a week. The soon to be ex gov is a turd who has to go.

But the Dems have been ratfcked yet again by the GOP, and when in gods' name are we going to learn how to anticipate and deal with it? We've only had since Nixon to learn.

More than time.

I realize this is a bit much, but seriously, the Dems are always subjected to a higher standard of behavior and ethics than rethugs. I'm not suggesting that all problematic behaviors should be disqualifiers, but if someone seriously considering a run for public office would honestly recall their lives and consider if they've engaged in polemic speech, acts or some pecadillo that will cause them to drawn out by the opposition - usually at the most damaging time possible and when the rethugs would be in a position to benefit immediately upon its disclosure - should just restrain themselves from believing that they're all that fit to serve in the first place, and ask themselves is the behavior likely to be discovered in the future. With all the search tools and digitized information readily available, personal information is not private. It is the currency of life these days. And most embarrassing moments or behaviors are witnessed or somehow documented (i.e., a photo, a journal, etc.) by another individual who was with the person or heard about it by someone else, and that's what makes the information embarrassing to begin with!

...as well as local Dem candidates as they pop up. At various state and national conventions, year by year, have break-out groups to study the enemy's tactics intensively. And I do mean enemy.

They (the RW) study us and our weaknesses and exploit them at every turn. It's time for us to recognize it and deal with it. The RW declared war on us.

We do not want to ever be that low -- ever -- but it is not necessary to become them to overcome them. We just have to be 100% smarter about it than we are now.

I'm going to suggest it to the local and state Dem party. Thanks!

Same source. Probably with some help from off continent, at least their tactics.

And they will continue to do this to overturn Democratic wins in the future. Wake up and stay woke!

will be predominantly governed by Republicans. They rarely apologize or quit. Why no outrage over Mitch and the Confederate flag? Mistakes of the past need not always be unforgivable.

Aided by Republicans. I have tuned them all out.

The dems are outnumbered by roughly a 2 to 1 ratio. There were some strides made in November, but republicans dominate the governorships and state legislatures.

and circle around and protect and insulate even the most egregious behaviors. He's suggesting we should be more like republicans. If maintaining power is more important than maintaining decency we might as well just start searching for the most vile Democrat we can find to run against Trump next year.

But if the party always walked in lockstep (or maybe goose step) it wouldn't be the Democratic Party. All politicians have big egos or they wouldn't want the job. Few can turn down the chance to get a headline. The difference is that Republican Partyexerts a lot more control on the messaging. The real issue here is we have a recently "converted" Democratic governor who thought Bush was grea and manages to jump over the party faithful for high office. It reminds me of what Taft said about the newly Democratic Wendell Wilkie when he got the nomination in 1940:"If a prostitute came to my church it would be my Christian duty to show her to her seat, but she wouldn't ne singing in the choir the first week." I think that the party leaders always wanted him gone, so he will get zero support.

Dems should not ask for it

that they do to their own.

+ 1000

My thoughts were the same as soon as the picture was announced. Everyone jumped on that bandwagon immediately. Have seen this time after time of late. However, Northam shot himself in the foot on Sunday and lost any credibility he had left. The media is playing into the sensationalization as well. Expect this kind of thing over and over until we start recognizing the play that is working so well for republicans at this time. It will continue to work well until we wise up and start dealing with this kind of tactic, both actively and proactively.

Republicans do it all the time.

Has he been effective in office?

Is this another Al Franken?

Republicans do it all the time, yes. I don't want my part to be like them.

As for your question, I refer you to the several excellent OPs here written by some of our AA members.

Aren’t his pro civil rights political record and views, along with personal evolution from a possibly racist mindset, a higher standard?

That’s how Lincoln, LBJ, Hugo Black etc met a higher standard.

or donning Klan robes.

The chauffeur said he preferred his being called his name, LBJ said that would never happen.

Hugo Black was in the KKK.

Lincoln said white people were superior to blacks in the 1858 debates with Dougas.

LBJ used the “n” word regularly.

and had no probably using racial epithets freely.

He actually *was* a former Klan member? Yet he was reformed and served in the Democratic Party in the Senate with distinction right up until his death.

Not 1960 or 1860.

It doesn't matter if one was against slavery and one was for the Civil Rights Bill. They were racists, and not just for their times.

Why can’t we hear it all out?

Or why can’t it be handled by the state? Hold a special referendum or something.

Why is there no due process for Dems with allegations?

We are talking the ruination of a man’s life here.

We now seem to be a nation of charges, trial and execution by internet blog. People around the world are committing suicide every day over this anonymous electronic bullshit. It's also how right-wingers are creating extreme divisiveness in most all democratic populations around the globe.

"Due process" is the key words and I agree this should be dealt with entirely by Virginia's voters. It should be investigated thoroughly by Virginians and any appropriate action taken by Virginia's officials only.

I hope I'm never observed doing something innocent that someone holding a grudge sees a way to twist that into a crime, then I get flamed for months on social media, and then my friends and family hear about it.

This will continue so long as Republicans have access to billions of dollars of free money to fund secretive right-wing dirt digger groups and right-wing-only media. Until we solve our huge economic inequality and campaign finance issues, they should be flooded with defamation lawsuits.

...story about abuse by Justin Fairfax years ago. Of course now Fox has jumped on it.

I'd bet that if one scrutinized every politician in the country they could fine one scandal or another about every single one. Remember, even Obama smoked and wore a tan suit!!!

We need to learn how to prevent/counter it while retaining our values.

This isn't some eight dimensional chess.

We need to be cognizant of the ratfcking but recognize that some people really don't deserve our support.

he even had a photo taken with his FEET ON THE DESK! OMG! OH NOES!

And don't even get me started on him being a mustard eater.

See, some lightheartedness...a little slightly unbalanced laugh even.

Get them on the record repudiating their past ideologies. This "I didn't leave the party, the party left me" line of reasoning is fine for people who want to vote Democratic, but if we're going to accept people as leaders in our party we need them to come out and explain how what they used to believe is wrong, and how they've come to understand that the Democratic party is paving a better path. Having this sort of thing out in the open would preemptively provide a good first step for those who want to, and can, defend themselves against allegations like this. A good preemptive second step is to increase participation in fighting for equity at all levels.

The other thing to do, when we get hit by this, is to immediately start counterpunching. Use this momentum to attack other racist/sexist/bigoted policies and politicians, targets that will do us some good, and then hammer the republican party for their non-functional moral compass when they fail to join in on those fronts. Make it so that every scandal they drum up on one of ours means that we take sights on five of theirs. It's not like there aren't plenty to choose from.

a well thought out strategy.

We cannot keep "bringing butter knives to a gunfight."

You have to examine a person's history to look for turning points that show that someone has learned from his or her mistakes. It's the here and now that is important, unless there is something in their past that still defines their character.

We applied these rules to Joy Reid, we would have applied them to Al Franken. So, let's not be hypocrites. At the same time, do not give the right the weapons they need to eliminate those who are in a position to fight against them.

In the case of Ralph Northam, there is a preponderance of evidence that leads to the conclusion that he needs to go.

for Republican dirty tricks. There is a long list of Democratic victims who were skunked by other Democrats because the Party leadership was worried what the Republican media would say about them.
And since when is a foolish picture taken years before grounds for a life sentence? Who among us has not done something stupid or in bad taste? Anyone who is the same person they were 34 years ago missed a big part of living.
I always thought Democrats believed in evolution.

There are whole long essays about it on the front page. Fail to comply and conform at your own risk!

the enemy of the good is a recipe for failure. We all have our own centers and see the world through that prism. Al Franken was forced out of the Senate because Democratic leadership was spineless and refused even a fair hearing. If we continue to make important decisions based on how Republicans will see us we may as well just become Republicans.

as two bags of broken hammers and are responding out of mindless fear -- instead of understanding and acting on the need to immediately neutralize the new weapon the Republicans are firing into our core with. All of course know he or she could be the next victim.

Does anyone seeing what exploded on this forum alone -- Franken to outrage Democratic women and Northam to outrage POC -- doubt how effective these attacks are and what would continue to happen if we did not immediately act to neutralize these new threats? If the anger and demands of their targets were not satisfactorily addressed?

Pierce kind of forgot to include what will hopefully be brilliant tactics on how to neutralize these attacks without future victims needing to remove themselves from the field of battle.

One big thing desperately needed, of course, is an electorate aware enough that this tactic is being used by Republicans that their using it risks backfiring on them. The rage created by lifetimes and centuries of injustices and injuries needs to be focused on the Republican Party that is determined to continue these injustices, but I'm not sure how much is going to be possible. At very least the first response needs to become, "Is it true? I'm no fool to be jerked around by the likes of them."

Pierce, you're back up to bat. Please finish your article.

Addendum: Noticed the demands for immediate resignation may just be chilling a bit. Could the Republicans' attempt to also take out the next-in-line lieutenant governor have been made too quickly? Generated an awareness moment? Or?

Has Northam's behaviour been one that could be qualified as racist, bigoted, after that photo was taken? It was a stupid thing to do, no question about it, but his behaviour throughout his political career should be analyzed and then determine whether that stupid moment in his life defines him. If not, then everyone needs to be quiet about it because the orange buffoon is worst than a stupid moment in someone's life.

Does the behaviour of the orange buffoon define him as a racist, bigot, misogynist, a cheater, etc. etc? Yes, it does.

Does the behaviour of Northam define him as such? If it has then he should step down, if it doesn't then we should all be quiet about it.

n/t

I listen to him on https://freespeech.org/watch-live/ and set my alarm so I never miss it.

take on this, mcar.

I'd just like to point out that, IMO, the pubicans are playing the Democrats just like pootin is playing the USA.

pootin has dissected the U.S. electoral system (such as it is) and taken full advantage of the weaknesses in our system to effect a takeover of the entire U.S. government.

The pubican assholes have done likewise. They are using the Democratic Party's laudable zero-tolerance policy to attack and eviscerate Democratic politicians.

EVERYONE has done something wrong. pubicans NEVER resign. For example; trump sits in the White House and kavanaugh sits on the Supreme Court!

Only Democrats are held responsible. Only Democrats police their own. Only Democrats are forced by their own standards to resign.

Better wake up. Equal application of ethical standards must be upheld or what Democrats have here is a perfect recipe for losing.

Democrats would rather be beyond reproach than in power. And Republicans would MUCH rather be in power than beyond reproach.

Removing someone or something (like ACORN) had better be balanced against the actual damage it causes the party.

What if removing Northam turned the governorship of VA over to the GOP? Would everyone at DU still be loudly calling for it? Because when real Democratic power is on the line, we have to be careful about who we make walk the plank. The ACORN debacle was the worst (real loss of power, no real wrongdoing), and Franken, to me, seems to be in the same boat. But how do we choose when there is real wrongdoing AND it represents a real loss of power? How do we hang on to our souls, knowing that loss of Democratic power means real hardship, death, and discrimination for a lot of people, regardless of the fortunes of one particular politician.

"Democrats would rather be beyond reproach than in power. And Republicans would MUCH rather be in power than beyond reproach."

We lose even when we win. They win even when they lose.

He can resign in a few months, but after this attack on the Lt Gov??? It is obvious they want a do over of the elections. They don't like a pro choice Gov, nor a black Lt Gov.

No. They don't get what they want this time, not after Franken.

What Northam did sucked, and he can't be a an effective Gov, I suspect, but at this point I want him to stay in for now, with a private understanding with the VADP he will resign for family reasons in July or something.

It was indeed a ratfck. Democrats in leadership had better learn how and start responding to these attacks without looking like disloyal, wimps who eat their own when the going gets tough. imo

But Pierce says almost the same thing I did, and it gets a whole thread. Whatever, I'm over it now (/venting).

But, to be clear, unlike Pierce, I don't agree with the call for resignation. And I will restate my reasons:

1.) All criminals who serve their time get out of jail. This is because we have the concept of rehabilitation. If we truly did not believe in that, then every crime should have a life sentence. After a criminal gets out of jail (after any probation ends), if they are accused of a new crime, you can't even use the old crime in court against them.

Yet, here have have a guy who clearly did something racist in 1984. He was a Republican on paper until 2007 but never held any office. He first ran for office in 2007 as a Democrat.

I am asking for any evidence of immoral, unethical, or criminal actions by him since 2007. I did see the supposedly racist "double campaign flyer", one with Justin Fairfax and one without, but that doesn't cut it for me. I have served on a few Democratic Town Committees and Democratic campaigns and I know that the "Approved by Ralph Northam" byline does not actually mean he saw the flier, or designed it himself. I am not saying the flyer is nothing, but its no where near evidence of racism.

2) I then said basically what Pierce said in this article - the Republicans (and maybe Russians too) are out to "ratfvk" Dems at every opportunity. Any Dem which can be exploited, will be. They show no mercy. (I often think of Repubs as Cobra Kai)

Here is what I would recommend. Let Northam handle this as he wants, it doesn't matter. He can't run for Gov again consecutively due to Va. Law, and if he runs again in the future, Virginians can hold him accountable as they see fit. Dems should show as much disdain for the photo, the yearbook slogan, and anything else they want. But don't weaken our position over it. Not now. Don't give Trump any cover whatsoever. If Northam wants to resign later, before his term ends, that's up to him. But timing is, in fact, key, as Pierce is saying in this article.

I believe we can hold a Democrat responsible for past actions without making the assumption that those actions still inform their character today. If you really believe that's not possible, that past actions overrule any good you've done in your life since, then you don't believe in rehabilitation, and you don't believe people can really change. I believe people can change, and I have witnessed it in my personal life many times over.

I will again renew my request for any information from 2007 to present which would inform me that this man did something which would require him to resign right now. I promise to look at that evidence and weigh it fairly, and revise my position accordingly.

No, sir, they do not. They'll even band together and hide your post to avoid having to face what they're doing.

of every candidate. Because whatever isn't brought up in our primaries will be brought up as an October Surprise in 2020. Everything is on the table, whether 5, 15, or 35 years ago. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried just a little. Does anyone disagree??

Is that actually not the case?

Seems pretty dumb if they don't.

hidden through payoffs, etc?

If you elect someone who has left a trail to compromising behavior and didn't vet them, I have no sympathy when it comes out. Crying victim over getting caught doesn't fly. He shouldn't have gotten party support to begin with.

Any laws in his racist stunt?

John 8 (King James Version)

"...and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone"

I defy any of you to claim that there is nothing in your life, since you were a kid, that you are ashamed or embarrassed by, something that you really wouldn't like to be made public for the whole world to know about.

Obviously.

I'm guessing Northam may not have been fully vetted before running because he's a physician.

After scouring a potential candidate's past, if they find something objectionable in an old yearbook, photograph, or whatever, they can then decide if the person should run and whether the incident needs to be disclosed up front so voters can decide.

He is neither the guy in black face or in the KKK uniform? His roommate at the time does not remember him ever dressing up as either one. Someone knows who those two people are in that photo. I just hope someone comes forward. He will probably still have to step down but it will clear him of being in the photo.

...best way to avoid this is to not run for office if you're concealing racist shit from your past. Period. I'm not going to lift a finger to help someone as conflicted and dissembling as Northam has been in the face of the revelations.

Can we have an end to these posts suggesting republicans need to be held accountable before we do the right thing? No matter the intent, it just comes off as a way to excuse Northam.

There's not a thing we can do differently, no matter who is exposing these facts about Democrats' past. It's not as if republicans are going to measure up to our own morality just because we exercise it. We do it because its the right thing to do and expect voters and others to recognize and appreciate that.

Imagine refusing to resign until similar republicans do the same. That would only serve to perpetuate the racism and bigotry which keeps these objectionable figures in positions of power.

You can't as a party stand on the principle that every women in a sexual assault claim is telling the truth. Get it

resign. Or calling out Trump's blatant racism. And I'm not so sure Northam will be ineffective as governor.

the "revelation" of the yearbook photo is question has been a very successful ratfck by conservative oppo creeps who held onto it until the hue and cry over Northam's comments on a defeated abortion bill had been twisted far beyond what he actually said, and thereby weaponized fully.

2) That the national Democratic Party, and national Democratic politicians, have learned nothing from the ACORN and Shirley Sherrod debacles and can be spooked into condemning one of their own with surpassing ease.

3) That the ratfck over Virginia Democratic politics is by no means over and the national Democratic Party better D up quickly against this kind of thing, because the only thing asymmetric in this particular asymmetric conflict is the way the Democrats still fight it.