Northam To Launch Listening Tour, Recalibrate Agenda To Rehab Image

RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 02: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Governor's mansion on February 2, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. Northam denies allegations that he is pictu... RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 02: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Governor's mansion on February 2, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. Northam denies allegations that he is pictured in a yearbook photo wearing racist attire. (Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is crafting a plan to rehabilitate his image with African American voters by going on a listening tour, possibly upping the funding to historically black colleges and universities and encouraging legislation to take down Confederate statues.

According to a Monday BuzzFeed News report, Northam is hoping that heavy investment in African American-centric issues will win him back support from leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton who have called on him to resign.

Two weeks ago, a picture surfaced from Northam’s yearbook page of a man in blackface next to one in a Ku Klux Klan robe. Northam’s bungled response and tone-deaf attempts to clean up the scandal furthered his troubles, though he was spared the entire limelight when the next two leaders in the Democratic lines of succession had their own scandals emerge.

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  1. This is what Trump did
    In a week everyone will have forgotten about it because we will be busy dealing with the next Trump generated crisis
    He manages to suck the air out of every news cycle
    Not sayin’ it was right , but that’s reality
    Next shiny object, step right up

  2. Just as long as he doesn’t moonwalk on the stage in an attempt to better connect with the audience…

  3. He’s obviously not a PR-type guy. If he was, this would have been part of his actions from jump.

  4. “Ahm a-listenin’. Now sang Dixie fer me, boy.”

  5. I’m always bemused by listening tours. What does the candidate do, go out on stage and say, “OK, talk to me,” then sit back and say nothing more?

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