Ordinary World: Virginia, Oh Virginia
New controversies are swirling in the Old Dominion as the chaos in Richmond continues into a second week. Here is the latest in the ever-changing landscape of Virginia government scandal:
[VA1] Va. Democrats Call For Fairfax’s Resignation After 2nd Accuser Comes Forward
[VA2] Delegate threatens impeachment after second Fairfax accuser comes forward.
[VA3] Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Plans To Survive By Changing His Agenda To Focus On Race: The governor — reading “Roots” and “The Case for Reparations” — has brought on a new team to help, and is committed to pursuing a bold policy agenda to help make amends.
[VA4] Virginia Senate majority leader distances himself from racist content in yearbook he edited
[VA5] Kurtis Blow Condemns Virginia AG for Once Using Blackface to Imitate Him
[VA6] Opinion: Why Ralph Northam Should Not Resign
[VA7] Opinion: Ralph Northam must resign
[VA8] 2020 Democrats add to calls for Justin Fairfax to resign
[VA9] Virginia’s Racist History Clashes With New South Image
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
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
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
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
Northam won the African-American vote. Like many, Sanderistas, Perillo was not able to motivate and inspire the African-American vote.Report
Probably woulda come out a bit differently if Perillo had looked through some old yearbooks.Report
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
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
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
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
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
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
Good for the rank and file Democratic Party in sticking to its’ principles rather than overlooking this as a matter of political expediency.Report