Question: If instead of blackface and a Klan outfit, a photo had surfaced of Northam and his buddies

humorously simulating a gang rape, with one of his friends dressed up in what they presumed to be "slutty" clothing and behaving like she was drunk, filthy and stupid ... would folks here insist that he should stay in office because: 1) the picture was 35 years old; 2) he's been good on women's issues as governor; and 3) if he steps down, a Republican would become Lieutenant Governor?

If your answer is yes, please explain your reasoning.

I often joke that some people refuse to admit someone's racist unless they're caught in a Klan hood

Now we have a photo of a man in a Klan robe and hood (or in blackface hanging out with the guy in the Klan robe and hood) and we're getting, "That was 35 years ago and it doesn't really mean anything and he was only 25 and he could have just been joking and besides that's just one picture - what other evidence do you have that he was a racist?"

Is it just me, or is anyone else tired of chasing the goalposts all over the field?

A few questions for Gov. Northam

1. Is that you in the photo?

2. If the answer is No, skip to Question 12. If the answer continue on to Question 3.

3. Are you the guy in blackface or the guy in the KKK robes?

4. Why were you dressed in blackface or in KKK robes?

5. Was this the only occasion on which you dressed in blackface or in KKK robes?

6. Where was this picture taken?

7. Who else was with you when the picture was taken?

8. What were you all doing before, while and after the picture was taken?

9. Were other pictures taken at that event?

10. Have you seen the other pictures taken at that event?

11. Have you seen or are you in possession of any of the pictures taken at that event or any other event where you dressed in blackface or KKK robes?

12. If that was not you in the picture, why did you say it was?

13. If that was not you in the picture, were there other occasions on which you dressed in blackface and KKK robes?

14. If that was not you in the picture, were you present at the event where the picture was taken?

15. If that was not you in the picture, why did you allow it to appear on your yearbook page?

We have many other questions, but this can get you started.

Biden calls for Northam to step down

I'm so disappointed, sad and a little angry to see so many people not only defend Northam

but to go out of their way to make excuses for and dismiss inexcusable behavior that cannot and should never be dismissed. It astounds me to witness so many people completely ignore the pain and anger of black Americans who are trying to explain why this IS a big deal and Northam should step down as governor. And it is painful to have people tell us that we're overreacting, we've got out priorities mixed up, we're unfairly picking on a man "for something he did 35 years ago."

I don't know how many different times and ways I can explain this. But I'll try again.

This has nothing to do with unfairly "punishing" or refusing to forgive a man for long ago acts. Black people are THE most forgiving people on earth. If we did not have the capacity to forgive and didn't do it constantly, this would be a very different country, if it still existed at all.

So this is not about forgiveness. This is about a man who didn't just hold racist views and eventually grow out of them (if he ever really did). Northam clearly had racist views - ugly, hateful ones, not just unconscious bias - and acted on them in a vicious way. And he did it with pride and and a an arrogant, privileged certainty that it was so ok that he should memorialize it on film and then publish it for posterity in one of only 5 photos he selected to represent his four years of higher education.

This is about a man who seemed to believe that, despite that history, he could just move on and do whatever he wanted with his life and never address it, comment on it, own up to it, explain it or apologize for it. Or, even worse, did he think it really wasn't all that bad, so if it did happen to come out, he'd just deal with it then?

Either way, he hasn't done the work needed to earn forgiveness. Letting something slide for 35 years and then, when it comes out through no effort on his own, to simply say on the very day it's revealed "Whoops! My bad! Can you forgive me?" is not enough. Not by a longshot.

And even worse is the fact that so many people think that IS enough and are telling black folks that WE are wrong for not "letting it go." For not simply saying, "No problem, Governor. You haven't done anything really racist recently (that we know of yet), so of course you're forgiven. And WE apologize for taking so many hours after we heard about it at 5 pm today to absolve you. We hope we didn't cause you any undue discomfort by not immediately jumping to your defense!"

There are few things more annoying than not having our views considered - or, as in this instance, having our opinion and perspective dismissed outright - and then being lectured to on matters of race by people who have not experienced racism and don't seem to be the least bit familiar with racism, its history, it's impact and vestiges on us as a people and as individuals. And when that kind of back of the hand and condescension comes from our allies, it's especially frustrating and astounding.

To my fellow DUers, I urge you to stop telling us why Northam shouldn't bear any consequences for his behavior and dishonesty. Stop telling us we're overreacting. Stop telling us that what he did is no big deal. And PLEASE stop telling us that because a racist criminal is president and a racist sexual abuser is on the Supreme Court, we must shut up and allow a person who paraded around in blackface and/or KKK regalia to hold the highest position of power and honor in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Stop. Just STOP. And LISTEN to us. Read our words. Try to empathize with our pain and frustration. Understand why we think this behavior is unacceptable in any public official and is especially unacceptable in a man whom black voters put into office.

Pay attention to what WE think and say on this issue because our views matter and if you take the time to consider them, you'll probably learn something. And when it comes down to it, isn't that really the point of these discussions anyway?

Northam probably lied outright to his campaign team

I've worked on many campaigns at senior levels and one of the first things that happened when a major campaign got serious is that campaign senior staff and advisers sat the candidate down and grilled them about their past. The purpose is to find out if there's anything in their past that could be embarrassing or otherwise problematic. They don't do it to play "gotcha" but to make sure they can either clean it up before it surfaces or be prepared if and when it blows up.

I can't imagine that Northup's campaign team didn't take him through this exercise. And if they did, he must have told them he didn't have anything embarrassing or controversial. If he had made them aware of this, it would not have come out today as it did.

The more I think about this, the more astounded I am at his stupidity, arrogance, political tone-deafness, and lack of judgment.

If a video surfaced of Cory Booker and a friend joking in law school about raping white women

would you:

If you have to answer whether you're the one in blackface or the one in KKK regalia, maybe ...

you shouldn't be Governor.

I understand all of the rationales being given for Northam not to resign - I've been grappling with this myself. I supported and campaigned for Northam and was thrilled when he won. And I don't think people should necessarily be punished forever for behavior or the past

But this is different. Northam never disclosed this, never made an effort to publicly atone for or rectify this behavior. If this hadn't come out today, he would not be talking about it and would have continued to keep this on the downlow.

Not only is this a moral issue, but it also makes me question his political judgment. Why did he not disclose this to his own campaign so that it could be dealt with? Why did he continue moving forward with this ticking time bomb in his past - one with easily documented proof - and leave himself open to having this blow up in his face? This suggests to me that he doesn't have the judgment or the basic common sense to hold this office.

I've been trying all afternoon and evening to give him the benefit of the doubt but this is a bridge too far.

He needs to go.

How many times do racists have to use a hand gesture associated with white supremacists before we

stop defending the gesture as innocent, at best, and, at worst, "trolling liberals" and start to call it a racist call sign?

Even if its purpose IS to "troll," the very fact that those use this hand signal think it's effective as a trolling device is proof that the gesture evokes something negative in the people at whom it's targeted. How then can it be claimed that it's an innocent gesture that should not be read as racist?

Instead of jumping to defend those using it by making excuses about how not ALL such gestures are racist, why not call out those who are using it and tell them "That gesture has been co-opted as a racist sign, so why are you using it? If you don't intend to send a message of racism and white supremacy, you should stop posing with it. And now that you know what it has come to stand for, if you continue to use it, you're intentionally sending a message that you, too, are a racist."



https://twitter.com/jontbath/status/1042649173328257024

Please stop denying this is a white power sign