What is Missing from the Northam Controversy is the Abortion Reason Republicans Came After His Scalp

[dlk]

Without a doubt, Northam's yearbook photos are truly awful. However, we would all be remiss if Northam's position, as a physician, on late-term abortion, was not included in this conversation. Northam's yearbook has been collecting dust on the shelf for over 30 years. Yet, it was only subsequent to Northam's comments supporting his medical opinion of late-term abortion that the Republican scalp hunters came crawling out from under their rock to publish these photos. I am not excusing the awful photos, nor the long ugly and continuing history they represent. I am stating there is a context in this situation. It is not completely cut and dried and the abortion piece should be taken into consideration with the racism piece.

[EffieBlack]

1. I don't care why they came after him

This is not a lie or a smear. This is not dirty tricks or ratfucking. If you actually engaged in the racist behavior that you're accused of, it doesn't really matter to me who first put out the information or why they did it.

And let's not forget that the timing of this was all on Northam. He could easily have diffused this decades, years, months, even weeks ago. It was all within his control. For some reason known only to him, he chose not to, thereby leaving a ticking timebomb for someone else to find and throw in his face. He can't hide behind the "the bad guys have it out for me" defense.

[Demsrule86]

2. I agree with you...scummy but if Northam resigns...a Republican will be LT Governor and in

charge of getting legislation through the Senate...he is president of the Virginia Senate. Politically this would be a disaster.

[EffieBlack]

7. You skipped something. Justin Fairfax. A black governor

And, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being told we should ignore and tolerate racism for some other political goal. Especially since that only seems to be the mantra when it comes to issues of race and racism and the people who are usually told to swallow hard and take one for the team are black folk.

But while you're talking political expediency and impending disasters, Virginia is an important swing state and if Northup stays, he'll be useless as governor. No presidential candidate will go near him. Black voters won't listen to him, Republicans will mock him and make him a poster child for Democratic hypocrisy and whataboutism, that picture will never go away, and he certainly will be completely ineffective in turning out the vote.

We don't need him as Governor of Virginia. He needs to go.

[Cattledog]

8. I believe that the Gov. can appoint the Lt. Gov. in this situation.

Anyone have info on this?

[CincyDem]

10. There seems to be some lack of clear legal direction on this.

Apparently the VA constitution is silent on the topic and in the early 80's the VA AG opined that, since the Governor had authority to appoint individuals in the executive branch, it was his/her decision.

The other side of the argument is that the Lt Gov is an elected position and it's up to the State Senate to appoint the replacement, as they would for any other elected office.

I haven't seen a lot on the topic yet but I have to believe that it's going to be a donnybrook.

That said, who gets the choose the next Lt Gov shouldn't be part of the calculus about Northam.

[guillaumeb]

4. Exactly. eom

[PTWB]

5. Yep

I think people can change and improve and grow. And that we should judge people by who they are not who they were 35 years ago.

That said, we have to have standards. Northam might have changed and may very well be a good man. But he has no business being a leader in our party. He has no business being a Governor. He needs to go.

He can be a changed man in private - a private citizen working to do good to atone for his past mistakes. He doesn’t need to represent anyone.

[MaryMagdaline]

3. We know they're coming after us. That's a given.

We have to do what’s right. Unlike Rethugs, we can’t ignore facts. “Everybody does it” is their response to racism and sexism. “We don’t tolerate it” is our response.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. The racist costume is, in fact, completely cut and dried.

It's a racist costume. He didn't mention it to his team, or his team knew about it and decided not to do anything about it. Both are actions that reflect the white supremacy we live in. It's bad all the way around, without the "abortion context."

[manor321]

9. This is irrelevant.