Ordinary World: Virginia, Oh Virginia

13 thoughts on “Ordinary World: Virginia, Oh Virginia”

1. announcing to the world that he’s reading “Roots” to help him overcome his blackface issue is proof to me that Northam is so perilously out of touch with reality that he probably shouldn’t be governing anythingReport

   1. His whole reaction to the scandal has been bizarrely deluded. How did this guy manage to do anything, let alone be a successful pediatrician and win a governor’s race?Report

      1. The power centers of the state (NoVa and Hampton Roads/Norfolk) have solidified as blue. Its also where the population and the money are. His opponent was a lobbyist whose campaign IMO came off as overly cynical when he needed to look responsible. Northam ran against Trump when the opposition to him was still very fresh.

         Obviously someone actually in VA might see it differently but this was my perception from the near constant ads on the tv and radio. I still remember the ‘Trump is a narcissistic maniac!’ vs ‘MS-13 is coming to get you!’Report

         1. These are all true. I was as much thinking about why he was able to win the primary, though I know a lot of folks worried that Periello was too left for VA.

            Also the dumb one-term limit thing means that other, better candidates weren’t available, and it’s sort of a job with limited potential for an ambitious Dem since both Senate seats are already filled by Dem former governors.

            Still Northam is obviously a weirdo.Report

            1. Northam won the African-American vote. Like many, Sanderistas, Perillo was not able to motivate and inspire the African-American vote.Report

               1. Probably woulda come out a bit differently if Perillo had looked through some old yearbooks.Report

            2. It’s funny because (again as an outsider who nevertheless saw a lot of it on TV) I thought the selection of Northam in the primary process showed a lot of smarts on the part of the Democratic party in the state. Not being from metro DC gave him appeal in RoVa, even if he could really toe the line between coming off as folksy and dopey.

               I suspect picking Periello probably would’ve overplayed the Dem hand, which can and does happen. I just saw it in my own state in absolutely baffling fashion.Report

               1. Yeah but your state has Hogan, right? He wasn’t gonna lose regardless.

                  (It can be tough when most Dems like the Republican Governor!)Report

                  1. Yes, we have Larry (who full disclosure I did vote for) but Jealous winning the nomination made it a really easy call. It didn’t have to be.Report

                  2. Yeah and here I am trying to type despite wearing a huge Team Blue #1 foam finger and I’m still like, “Sure, why not vote for Hogan.”Report

2. There is really no incentive for Northam to resign because Virginia term-limits their Governors to one term. This is stupid. The scandals facing the Lt. Gov. and AG certainly help too. But the Democratic Party is sticking to their guns here and asking for resignation which is good.Report

   1. Yeah two of the past three governors of VA have disgraced themselves after replacing someone pretty good who was term-limited out.

      The crazy thing is the exception is Terry MacAuliffe.Report

3. Good for the rank and file Democratic Party in sticking to its’ principles rather than overlooking this as a matter of political expediency.Report

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