I don't think I want to live in a society where we can't believe people mature and become better.

[Music Man]

What Northam did was reprehensible. With the stain of racism in this country, what he did was truly vile. The 1980s were not a "different time" when it comes to the perception of blackface. Whatever the hell that picture was supposed to be, it was damn stupid.

But I see nothing to indicate this is a pattern of behavior that extends anywhere close to the present day. I have to believe that I'm a better person now than when I was in college, and that was just a decade ago.

I will say that I, a white man, realize that it can be presumptuous of me to assert how we should feel about this incident. Black Americans have been the target of hateful caricatures involving blackface, and when the NAACP, Kamala Harris, or other black people call for Northam to resign, I know it comes from a place of deep hurt that I am reticent to contradict.

That said, I believe even calls for resignation must honestly concede that people can and do change. We have to believe that or we'll become a nation devoid of grace. Of course this had to come about through digging. Northam, like any politician, doesn't lead with this, just like you don't go into a job interview and talk yourself out of a job by revealing every awful thing you've ever done.

God, it's going to be a shitshow when more and more millennials and Gen-Z's seek office, with their lifetimes of texts, videos, pictures, and social media up for grabs.

[manor321]

1. He can mature out of office. Meanwhile, we move on without him. We don't need him.

[uponit7771]

4. I think we need him, we can use a repentant heart no? thx in advance

[cyclonefence]

26. A truly repentant man would have apologized before he was caught

Now it seems he is sorry for being caught. That kind of hubris, the feeling that what he did would be seen as he meant it, as hijinks and a joke, over all these years, tells me he isn't truly repentant. We don't need him.

[Rorey]

32. I can almost buy the drunk and stupid excuse, but this guy just really doesn't get it

You're right. He should have owned it before running for office and apologized for it. The final tap on the final nail in the coffin of his career as governor was when someone asked about his moonwalk and he actually looked around to see where to do it before his wiser wife said it was inappropriate.

He just doesn't get it.

He's done, and he's the only one who seems to have not accepted that.

[Jarqui]

33. He did not demonstrate during that press conference that he "gets it"

There was something hollow or insincere or missing in his response.

It lacked a sense that he'd thought his response through.

A truly repentant man has to grasp the depth of what he's done wrong and demonstrably feel it.

I didn't see that yesterday. His choice of words left me wanting.

There was something wrong and it didn't add up very well for him or the rest of us.

You're right: we don't need that.

[uponit7771]

40. True

[msongs]

2. obama and hillary matured on equality. good thing we forgave their past sins nt

[backabby-blue]

6. They were not hateful.

They opposed gay marriage on policy but they were not out hating on the community. It's no where near the same.

[LiberalLovinLug]

15. You honestly think he is "hateful" towards black Americans? Or ever was?

Or was it a stupid prank and "funny", at least through his younger, more ignorant, eyes at the time? And which he now would never do such a thing?

Surely there must be room for common sense in this. The blood lust for watching one of our own fall on his sword on the left is getting absurd. We don't stand a chance with all of the R's and their hypocritical anger PLUS the trigger happy reactionists on our side. Together there is simply no room for forgiveness for a one time incident 35 years ago from our side.

But of course they can literally be a modern day racist, Nazi, on a daily basis. Swear, insult on a personal level, commit adultery, and all the while claim they are the party of family and faith. Its not fair. And I think we make it even more unfair with our blood lust.

[backabby-blue]

16. It was HATEFUL

there is absolutely no doubt. I hate whatabllutism… what about repukes>>?? We're not repukes

[Beartracks]

17. I tend toward the "stupid and insensitive" theory.

In college in the 80s, kids thought stuff was "funny" that today's woke generation, and society at large, would not tolerate. Although, wasn't this in med school??? Such a prank really kind of reeks of undergrad stupidity, not mid-20s...

=========

[EffieBlack]

42. I was in law school when Northam was in med school

No one in my class, as far as I'm aware, thought putting on blackface and posing with people in Klan outfits was funny. And if anyone did think it was funny, they knew better than to put it on display in a school publication because they would have been bounced out on their sorry asses.

The 1980s weren't the dark ages and the 2010s aren't the wakening dawn of "wokeness" We were very woke 30 years ago.

[yardwork]

9. That comparison is ridiculous.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. If Hillary was captured in blackface she would have never been our nominee.

If Obama...

[roamer65]

24. Hillary's husband signed DOMA.

One of the most hateful pieces of legislation in American history. Where was her opposition to it?

[EffieBlack]

36. Not opposing DOMA is NOT the same as WEARING BLACKFACE AND POSING WITH A KLANMAN!

Good Lord. Do you guys actually read, much less think about what you write before you post it?

[roamer65]

44. Typical write off of LGBT folks.

[uponit7771]

3. Northam didn't apologized for his actions .. UNTIL ... someone outed him. It is an issue of ...

...sincerity not just repentance in this case.

He could've simply said when I was young and stupid I was young and stupid and gave the example of the pic post election.

[UniteFightBack]

5. His apology sucked and was the final nail in his coffin. nt

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. People absolutely can mature and become better. The question is whether they've done it before they

became governor, or whether they start once they've been found out and do so while in a position to continue to harm others.

[TeamPooka]

8. If he had really matured ....

He would’ve addressed this years ago.
He would’ve talked about this photograph, how he was raised, and what he learned when he became an adult (because clearly he didn’t seem to be an adult here at 25 in the photo) and how he’s become a better person Who wants to fix some of the social inequalities, and work to eliminate the prejudices that exist our nation.
He would’ve addressed the terror the KKK brought the families across the south and the rest of this nation for that matter.
He would’ve addressed the symbolism of the old confederacy represented in blackface and how it is a legacy not to be cherished and idolized, but to be scored, spurned, and denigrated.
He had 20 years to get out in front of this picture, but he did not.

[Doitnow]

19. So? He, in fact, didn't do any of those things. That's his RECORD. Not anywhere good enough.

[TeamPooka]

23. Are you disagreeing with my point it doesn't sound like it

[Doitnow]

45. I absolutely agree with you. He never did any of the right things and that is why I point out

that he has created a terrible RECORD for himself.

[TeamPooka]

46. when you start out with a "So?" that is a challenge to the preceding statement

and confuses the point you're trying to make if agreeing

[Doitnow]

47. You are probably right----or I should have used a comma instead of a question

mark and the meaning would have changed to "therefore." Little things can mean so much!

[Dawson Leery]

10. This -

"It's going to be a shitshow when more and more millennials and Gen-Z's seek office, with their lifetimes of texts, videos, pictures, and social media up for grabs."

[Dan]

14. Absolutely agree with you...

and sadly, I think (my personal opinion) that in the name of purity, we will lose.

People do stupid things, people grow up - and I'm sure that I did a lot of stupid things when I was young, but then I would never run for political office. I wonder, in today's climate, how does one atone, can we ever forgive mistake or misdeeds?

Someone mentioned that when someone is elected to office from the GOP, most offenses from their past will not get the party to force them to resign. As old as some of the GOP senators are, it wouldn't surprise me if they were at the Crucifixion of Christ and actual supporters of the event, AND I would bet that they wouldn't step down!

I guess in my own way, I am saying, we will be pure, they will be in power.

[Doitnow]

21. Stupid gets excused. Hateful does not.

[Dawson Leery]

11. kick

[bigtree]

12. he hasn't addressed why he behaved so reprehensively at 24

...can't be put behind him by just referring to it as some sort of youthful behavior.

As a black man, this act will always stand as a large measure of his character. He needs to tell us what in his life led him to believe that was excusable.

And what's with this medical college?

[Hassler]

13. Northam ran on ditching Confederate monuments. Actual policy.

But he's a goner, the long knives are out. If I remember it, Obama only ditched Jeremiah Wright after it became an issue. I'm glad he didn't drop out. Meanwhile, no one is calling for Repug Josh Hawley to resign and he broke the law.

[pnwmom]

18. He threw Fairfax under the campaign bus in 2017 because the unions didn't want his face

on the flyers they were passing out. The Northam campaign printed up special flyers for union people to distribute that airbrushed the black candidate for Lt. Governor out of the picture.

The story is that they didn't want to endorse him because he didn't support the planned fracked gas lines without an environmental impact statement. And they claimed the flyer that airbrushed him out was fine with him -- which wasn't true. It was distributed in the locales where he should have gotten the most support.

This happened 3 weeks before the general election and many people thought this action was terrible -- it took the votes of African Americans for granted -- but they were afraid if they argued about it, they'd lose the close election.

Are you still sure his pattern of behavior hasn't extended to the present day?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

22. He can work through his issues as a private citzen

Being an elected official is a privilege, not a birthright.

[Rorey]

37. Yes

He can spend the rest of his life atoning for this in another manner. He knew what he was hiding. He just never expected it to be found out. Now the only decent thing for him to do is apologize profusely and step aside.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

38. His press conference made it harder for him to redeem himself.

If he was sincere that he is not the person now that he was then he would resign, take some time for self reflection, go on his healing tour, and then run for his old state house seat. If the voters re-elect him he would get the vindication he seeks.

[triron]

25. Ideally should be that way.

[Funtatlaguy]

27. OP, I think a better argument for you

Would be how many of the left especially LGBT forgave Joy Reid for her earlier anti gay statements.
She evolved and apologized.

I’m not sure how this relates to Northam.
Probably doesn’t.

But, as far as forgiveness and moving on,
Reid got that favorable treatment from the left.

[Codeine]

31. Nobody in the LGBT community

would ever cast a vote for her in an election, however. Forgiveness is one thing, elected office is quite another.

[Mike Nelson]

28. Agree...

… if we can't have a society where we can't believe people mature and become better, we have nothing. I watched the Governor's press conference and think he should resign, for the good of his state. I found his story credible... The thing that got me was how he reminded us to use only a little shoe polish. He knew from experience. That probably how he got his nickname.

[Codeine]

29. Who says he can't mature?

But honestly, something that egregious, that hateful, that absolutely tone-deaf is an inherent life-long disqualification for the job of representing a state with that many African-American citizens.

Let the man mature in the private sector. He’ll be fine.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

39. It's almost as if being governor is a right.

[EffieBlack]

30. Even Northam doesn't believe he's redeemed himself.

Just stopping the bad behavior doesn't count.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211768279

[DemocratSinceBirth]

34. Wouldn't he have more time to heal as a private citizen?

[EffieBlack]

35. Certainly

Even he said it will take time and effort to heal. Why should he do that on the public dime? He needs to take the time he needs to devote himself to this redemption project and let Justin Fairfax run the state.

[delisen]

41. Northam has a political record to examine but people seem

to want to condemn without examining that record.

He has said he did not pose in the photo.

Rushing to judgment on whether he must resign seems odd.

[Goodheart]

43. Can people change over night?

How much time should we allow? One day? 35 years?

I mean, couldn't trump have said he was a changed man from his p*ssy grabbing tape?

Here's the deal: there are thousands upon thousands of people who could handle the job. We don't need Northam for it, even if he's a good guy. We need to send a message: you don a KKK hood or blackface at age 25, assault a woman at age 18, brag about touching women without permission at age 65... YOU DON'T GET TO BE GOVERNOR OR PRESIDENT, no matter how much you might reform later.

[Caliman73]

48. There is a difference between "redemption" and turning a blind eye.

As others already said, Northam can totally redeem himself at one point. Just as Robert Byrd an actual Klan member who filibustered the Civil Rights Acts, did over the course of his career. The difference between Byrd and Northam is that Byrd never hid who he was. It was definitely a different time and Byrd would never have been elected in this day and age, which is ultimately a good thing. Corey Stewart was able to run and fortunately did not get elected. Steve King is still in Congress, and the people of Iowa have a reckoning coming in 2020. Will they continue to support an OPEN White Supremacist?

Northam did what he did, not as a stupid kid, but as a man, becoming a doctor, who by 20 years after the tumult of the Civil Rights movement, should have known better. He either hid it, or in his privilege, forgot about it. The fact that he wanted to Moonwalk, and though it would be cool to show people (as if it would clear him) shows that he hasn't really learned much, except not to be overtly racist.

He can redeem himself, but he is not entitled to do it in the Governor's Mansion, especially when Black leaders and others are telling him that he needs to go away and figure out how to redeem himself. Had the VBLC supported him to remain in office, it would be different, but after his ridiculous attempts at explanation and deflection, they seem to feel they cannot work with him to effectively respect and work in the interests of the Black constituency in Virginia. Perhaps at some point in the future he can come back.

As for Millenials, their parents did a great disservice allowing them access to social media before the the executive functions in their brains were fully formed. I always say, "Never say anything on the internet that you aren't willing to say to someone's face."