The missing story on The Va Gov.

[trixare4kids]

The Democrats are calling for his resignation because of his support for infanticide and his comments about "killing babies" His statement: "Abortion could be considered even during birth, if the baby suffered severe abnormalities."
They are doing damage control, saying look over there! He's a racist. They want him out of the picture because he mentioned killing babies in a late term abortion bill.

Even CBS went into damage control after Northam's comments where the governor indicated a child could be killed after birth.
CBS accused of editing Virginia Gov. Northam's comments on 3rd-trimester abortion bill

 

[tres borrachos]

Neither you nor I were ever perfect, but I think that our responses to our past would have given measurably greater reassurance to anybody concerned whether we're the same people that we were then.

Exactly. And that's why I take the assumption that Northam isn't the same punk he was in 1984 until someone can show me something to the contrary. He could be. I just haven't seen it yet.

 

[AlbqOwl]

First off, it is unlikely if I would have voted for this this guy if I were a Virginian.
But I don't believe in silliness, or virtue signaling, and I DO believe in fairness.


Whatever this guy did- it was THIRTY FIVE YEARS AGO.and it wasn't like he lynched a black man.

Are People not incapable of change???

Here's the missing story .

If he's a KKK level racist wouldn't there be multiple incidents of racism over the past 35 years?

Maybe there were- but I haven't seen any!

This is my sentiment too. I can't imagine voting for him given his extremely radical views on late term abortion and even condoning infanticide among many other things. But I am sick and tired over this nitpicking, hateful, indefensible tactic of going back decades even into a person's youth and young adulthood to find something that will then be portrayed as a figurative hanging offense. Thirty five years ago people weren't as hyper sensitive to every little nuance or quip or error in judgment. We have no clue what the context was of that photo. It is highly unlikely that it was making any kind of statement but was most likely a harmless skit or joke or some such. It simply is not proof of racism even then, and certainly not now.

And who among is is exactly the same person we were 35 years ago? Who among us have not changed our point of view or beliefs on various things over those years, matured in our perspectives, learned many things that we did not know then? Is not who and what a person is here and now more important than who or what he was 35 years ago? Who among us would not like to have some do-overs or in hind sight would not have done some things differently?

It is hateful, cruel, unjustifiable, and contemptible to pluck a relatively harmless statement or incident out of a person's whole life and hold it up as the sum total of what that person is now most especially when the purpose is to punish or destroy a person you don't like.

It is wrong to do it to a Republican. It is wrong to do it to a Democrat. It is wrong to do it to anybody.

 

[tres borrachos]

Oh he lied?
Then what's he fit to be? President?

#LAFFRIOT

#OBAMA-LIE OF THE YEAR
#TRUMP-lies daily
#Hillary - Lie machine

#OBAMA-LIE OF THE YEAR
#TRUMP-lies daily
#Hillary - Lie machine

Yes, yes, and yes.

I don't even know that Northam lied. I saw a picture from my sorority photo album from 1982 a few years ago, and didn't think it was me. But it was me, as it turns out. How would I remember in 2015 about a photo that was taken of me in 1982? Even when I saw it, I didn't know it was me.

 

[Rexedgar]

I actually agree with you. His erratic behavior and flipflopping in the days following the original story, however, make me question the judgement he has now, in 2019. Yeah, I believe people can change drastically in 35 years. Almost nothing about my personality from when I was the age he was back then is the same now, and that was only about 20 years ago for me. So if it hasn't been a pattern of behavior since then, and the behavior wasn't predatory in nature, I tend to give a pass. Though using it as a tie breaker between candidates who are otherwise equally qualified makes sense as well.

However, I do judge politicians and senior officials by how they handle pressure and stress. And the VA governor's behavior in reaction to this gives me pause. I felt similar with Kavanaugh. I had political reasons for opposing Kavanaugh but that is normal. And I didn't take a position on whether or not Ford's accusations were true. The accusations made by others seemed less plausible to me. But the way he handled himself in response to the accusations was what made me doubt his ability to handle the position. I will admit, that so far, he has conducted himself admirably since taking the bench so he is off to a good start in assuaging my concerns about partisanship and vindictiveness.

But we have hundreds of millions of people in this country. I think we can afford to be super picky in choosing people to fill these positions. They need to be able to do the job AND they need to be able to hold the trust and respect of the people they serve. It isn't a jobs program or an entitlement. Honestly, with respect to these high level positions I am not all that interested in "being fair" to the people in them.

I have a feeling I was all over the place in this reply, but am too lazy to reword it.

I agree with your post, mostly. What are the mechanics of redress when the voters figure out the person they elected is not working out? This is a state situation that reflects a national situation......


I was all over the Governor for the shoe polish remarks (how hard it is to remove), until I remembered where he was an undergrad. VMI ‘Keydets’ are intimately familiar with shoe polish, or they were in 1984.

 

[MrWonka]

You missed the point ENTIRELY. Take your hyperpartisan glasses off for one second as I clearly have.

Where has he demonstrated that he 's racist since then?

He doesn't need to repeatedly demonstrate it. There isn't a statute of limitations on incredibly poor judgment of this nature. Right wing racists have developed all kinds of stupid dog whistles to allow themselves to hide and communicate in plain sight. Nailing these pieces of **** to a cross so to speak is difficult enough as it is. When they slip up and accidentally show us their true selves we can't afford let them skate on as if it's just an aberration.

So that's your standard? If we can dig up some dumb Stuff somebody did 35 years ago- that's that' a deal breaker?

It depends on how egregiously dumb it is. Clearly, Bush had a DUI on his record that didn't seem to bother anybody. He was forgiven a bit because nobody realized how bad that was back in those days. But even in the days when these pictures were taken these idiots should have known better than to go to Halloween dressed in Klan gear.

 

[Chillfolks]

#OBAMA-LIE OF THE YEAR
#TRUMP-lies daily
#Hillary - Lie machine

Yes, yes, and yes.

I don't even know that Northam lied. I saw a picture from my sorority photo album from 1982 a few years ago, and didn't think it was me. But it was me, as it turns out. How would I remember in 2015 about a photo that was taken of me in 1982? Even when I saw it, I didn't know it was me.

His story is he would remember being in blackface because he was in blackface that year and remembered that so he knows its not him. It’s weird. Then he was about to try and moonwalk during a press conference about a racially insensitive photo. Again really weird

Northam is paying the price for the gottcha style of politics we practice today

 

[KLATTU]

His

Northam is paying the price for the gottcha style of politics we practice today

Yes. Precisely . Exactly.

And of calling every third person who doesn't pass the Huffington Post white person acceptable behavior test a racist.

 

[humbolt]

Bad week for the governor. Like it or not, if he lacks support in the legislature, maybe he should resign. It sounds like the lieutenant governor may have some problems too.

 

[KLATTU]

He , Bush had a DUI on his record that didn't seem to bother anybody.r.

As it shouldn't .

The difference between him and the 99% of the population is that they didn't get caught.

 

[Hypothetical]

You don't have to be a KKK level racist to be disqualified from power. That is the problem with too many right-wing **** heads. They think that just because they're not actively putting burning crosses in anybody's front yard they can't be racist. If at any point in your life you thought it was a good idea to go to Halloween dressed in Klan robes with a buddy in the black face you clearly do not have the type of judgment necessary to be the Governor of a state. I don't care if it was a joke or a stupid joke.

Furthermore, the fact that so many of your friends thought this was a good idea that they took funny pictures and put it in your yearbook tell us that you surround yourself with a lot of people of very poor character. If these are the types of people that are informing you and influencing you then you need to go.

bravo at least that is a consistent opinion.

I doubt though that many think you have to burn crosses to be a racist... however, its not fair to take one's words out of context to prove racism either, such as in the case of the "very fine people" quote.

 

[MrWonka]

however, it's not fair to take one's words out of context to prove racism either, such as in the case of the "very fine people" quote.

Umm...no. I'm sorry, but Trump knew who those pieces of **** were. All throughout Trump's campaign, his signature shtick was his bravado. His willingness to say anything that came to his mind and not worry about political correctness. Not worry about offending anybody and claiming anybody that took issue with what he said was some how a snowflake that just couldn't handle it. How is it then that the one group of people Donald Trump is doing mental gymnastics to try and avoid offending is the KKK. Particularly after one of their members drove a car into counter protesters murdering an innocent young woman?

The answer is quite simple. Trump and Republicans have absolutely no hope of ever winning a national election without getting every single solitary vote from White Supremacists. We don't have to take Trump's words out of context to prove he's a racist you have to take his words out of context to excuse his racism.