US Politics February 2019: This is one of the great losers of all time.

Northram's statement:

“Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive.

“I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now.

“This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians’ faith in that commitment.

“I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their Governor.”

I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now. and I resign.

fixed

the silver lining in these poll numbers for Schultz is that he has so, so much room to grow

These numbers almost defy belief. Everybody thinks Howard Schultz sucks. https://t.co/CuXPangLDy pic.twitter.com/RcRlJg5pcw

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 2, 2019

It’s a breathtaking failure to read the room

a costume that is clearly racist and offensive

He should have to specify which one!

To add insult to injury the poll also says he would throw the election to Trump pic.twitter.com/pUF6mO0Bo3

— Will Jordan (@williamjordann) February 2, 2019

(...Beto would really defeat trump, right now? makes me doubt the legitimacy of the poll a little, but maybe that's right because so many people would vote for absolutely anyone other than trump?)

(sorry, i know there are a million other threads for this. i just posted the schultz one here because he's not a potential democratic nominee)

A lot of what Beto has going for him right now is he's not a baby boomer.

pls post interesting things here and terrible things in the dem nominee thread that i can't deal with

Was thinking last night that a good campaign song for a Biden/Beto ticket would be Eddie Rabbit's "Drivin' My Life Away"

"oooh I'm Biden my life away, lookin' for a Beto day..."

he should apologize for it, and then move on

you know it's 2019, right? I give him four days.

this person seems not brain smart

I love the folks who want the Democratic Party to follow the electoral disaster of the current Labour Party, a party which is polling behind the most incompetent Tory government ever. That tragedy should be rejected not celebrated. And shows how wrong this person is. https://t.co/ZUv5g56YtN

— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) January 31, 2019

a party which is polling behind

incorrect

the most incompetent Tory government ever

correct

Some nice irony here, as conservatives seeking to punish Virginia Dems for supporting abortion rights are going to get the conservadem out of office, to be replaced with someone far to his left on the verge of Dems also taking the statehouse this fall.

— Erik Loomis (@ErikLoomis) February 1, 2019

Indeed, Fairfax could complete Northam's term and then be elected in his own right, getting more time in office than either would have alone.

Neera Tanden also freaked out over Kamala Harris being called a "centrist corncob" because she didn't know what it meant

Some amazing defenses of Northam on a gay politics blog (loaded with Hillary zealots) include, literally, "1984 was a different time."

If anything, it was worse in 1984 because the civil rights movement was not ancient history.

The other thing: it was Northram's medical school yearbook when the dude was 25.

I love how Republicans assume all high school/college kids went through "racially offensive costume" phases, and not, y'know, just them

"Come on, who hasn't thrown on a Klan hood for a laugh?"

Who even knew med school yearbooks were a thing?

I think they're more of a vanity thing? The craziest aspect of the story is that he concedes he's either the one in blackface or the one in the Klan robe, but he doesn't know which one. Because, you know, it could have been either. Depends on what day of the week it was. M-W-F, blackface. S-Tu-Thurs-Sat, Klan robe.

Common snide response I've seen:

Conservatives: Oh, this guy's a racist, but because he's a Dem you're OK with it?!
Dems: No, we're not, we think he should resign.
Conservatives: ... Oh.
Dems: Now what are you going to do about Steve King, or Trump?
Conservatives: ...

lol

Ralph Northam Should Not Resign Over a 35 Old Picture. He Should Resign Because He Supports Infanticide. https://t.co/0Lv1hMKMuq

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) February 2, 2019

the year Revenge of the Nerds came out

― Οuτις

I get the larger point but, um, RotN is not exactly a landmark of wokeness. One of the rapiest "comedies" ever iirc.

I think that is the larger point

in fairness it was two years before Soul Man

NEWS: Northam is calling Va Dems and telling them that’s *not* him in the yearbook photo and he will make a statement this afternoon to say the same. In other words, he is NOT quitting as of right now.

Story TK

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) February 2, 2019

Worst case scenario, he's lying.
Best case scenario, he's got at least two racist knuckle-walkers he considers good enough friends to post their picture on his medical school yearbook page.

Jesus, dude, walk away.

then why did he already apologize? did he think it MIGHT have been him but he couldn't remember?

Nice, the Shaggy defense

I don't get it -- he acknowledged yesterday he was one of the two people in the photo?

The narcissism of politicians never ceases to amaze me.

jus resign and go away

Deep down, he just wants to be the Dem Kavanaugh.

Shoulda kept better calendars then...

To see Max mocked by Neera Tanden is not a bad thing but a good thing

So this just happened at my airport. Obv no way of knowing why he did it but sure not getting paid for weeks didn't help. Horrifying:

https://www.local10.com/news/florida/security-issue-at-orlando-airport-halts-flights-officials-say

jfc

it's as if the material conditions of life have some bearing on mental health

they can be exacerbating

A Transportation Security Administration agent was killed Saturday morning after jumping from a hotel balcony into the atrium of Orlando International Airport, authorities said.

was killed? uh, no. this person died and in the most public way they could possibly choose. presumably this TSA agent thought the public needed to witness it and to acknowledge their humanity and their extreme distress.

"If anything, it was worse in 1984 because the civil rights movement was not ancient history."

1984 was a different time for some things, mainly gay rights (I'm constantly surprised by homophobic jokes in things like Friends which to me isn't even very old) but it certainly wasn't for fucking racism. When did Gimmie a Break run the Joey Lawrence singing Mammy episode? Everyone knew blackface was wrong in the early 80's. Gimmie a break!

(except for, apparently, Ted Danson)

Also, regardless of how good a Gov this guy is, you can't really walk this shit back after apologizing for it. What a dummy. Resign.

as noted upthread, his replacement is actually a big improvement, so yeah there's no downside to him resigning.

1984 was not 1884 and even if it was no one wants a reanimated confederate corpse for a liberal governor

RotN was, intentionally and by design, as racist, homophobic, and misogynist as could be. I was just throwing it out as context for 1984

what's RotN?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mRG2oAQhso

revenge of the nerds: the two towers

As cited upthread, "Revenge of the Nerds".

Here’s a video that was running on mtv in 1983
https://youtu.be/OG3PnQ3tgzY

what a talent show!

I’m surprised I was alive in the 80s. It seems like an extraordinarily different kind of amoral civilization

But ohhh, the coke

lol

I'm not gonna be the one to start the new thread, I can't handle the pressure of picking the right title.

Done. Thanks for the suggestions!

Mods...?

US Politics March 2019: “I can’t say I’m happy. I can’t say I’m thrilled”