Everyone from top Democratic 2020 presidential candidates to the NAACP is calling for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to resign after he admitted to appearing in a photo that showed one man in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan attire.
Northam is insisting he’ll be able to weather the political storm, issuing a statement Friday apologizing for appearing in a “clearly racist and offensive” costume. The first-term Democratic governor pledged in a video posted on Twitter to keep fighting to improve Virginia “through the remainder of my term.”
That may not be up to him. As Northam’s predecessor and friend Terry McAuliffe (D) put it in a statement Friday, the current situation is “untenable,” with Northam’s own caucus is saying he can no longer be trusted to hold the state’s top office.
The Virginian Pilot confirmed the legitimacy of the photo from Northam’s 1984 medical school yearbook, which first circulated on far-right site Big League Politics. Northam has still not said which of the two costumes he was wearing.
As the photo bounced around the internet Friday, both local and national politicians rushed to denounce Northam.
After meeting with the governor Friday, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus said “he can no longer effectively serve as Governor. It is time for him to resign, so that Virginia can begin the process of healing.”
Virginia House and Senate Democrats also issued statements saying their caucuses could no longer support Northam.
Democratic U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine stopped short of calling for Northam’s resignation, but called the photo shocking and said it was time for the governor to consider his options.
Calls for resignation came loud and clear from a number of 2020 presidential candidates, who said Northam’s apology was insufficient. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) said the “stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government,” while Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said Americans “should expect more from our elected officials.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) echoed those statements, calling the photo “deeply disturbing” and disqualifying for an elected official,
“It doesn’t matter if he is a Republican or a Democrat. This behavior was racist and unconscionable,” former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and 2020 contender Julian Castro tweeted. “Governor Northam should resign.”
The NAACP agreed that party affiliation did not matter, with President Derrick Johnson releasing a statement saying “black face in any manner is always racist and never okay.”
If Northam steps down, 39-year-old black lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax would assume the governorship.
Popehat always has a tactful and gracious way with words, which I cosign in this case.
A big part of what makes the Democratic Party a party worth belonging to is that it mostly doesn’t put up with this garbage.
Speaking as a born and bred Virginian, a progressive 53yo white male who voted for Gov. Northam, I believe it best for Virginia and the Virginia Democratic Party Mr. Northam step down and allow Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to serve the remaining threes years – as well as run again for the same seat in three years. Virginia governors can serve one full term only and must wait for another to serve their four years prior to considering running again.
For God’s sake, man, if you’re not going to resign, at least change your political affiliation back to Republican.
This situation is exactly what I mean when I call b*llshit on both-siderism.
Democrats immediately call for Democrat to resign; Republicans take 20 years to strip Nazi Congressman of committee assignments. He remains a Congressman – see the difference people? See how one party acts vis-a-vis the other?
I’m willing to cut Northam, well, not slack exactly, but I think it’s fair to give him a full weekend to come to grips with the fact that his political career is suddenly over.
It’s the gracious “bummer, dude” you offer when you see a guy crash his sandrail into a flaming ditch full of cacti and spiders. Northam put himself there, and he’ll have the rest of forever to think about that, but I don’t really take pleasure in seeing it.