Ordinary World: Virginia, Oh Virginia

Andrew Donaldson

Born and raised in West Virginia, Andrew has since lived and traveled around the world several times over. Though frequently writing about politics out of a sense of duty and love of country, most of the time he would prefer discussions on history, culture, occasionally nerding on aviation, and his amateur foodie tendencies. He can usually be found misspelling/misusing words on Twitter @four4thefire and his food writing website Yonder and Home. Andrew is the host of Heard Tell podcast. Subscribe to Andrew's Heard Tell SubStack for free here:

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13 Responses

  1. atomickristin says:

    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

    • pillsy in reply to atomickristin says:

      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

      • InMD in reply to pillsy says:

        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

        • pillsy in reply to InMD says:

          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

          • Saul Degraw in reply to pillsy says:

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

          • InMD in reply to pillsy says:

            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

  2. Saul Degraw says:

    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

    • pillsy in reply to Saul Degraw says:

      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. LeeEsq says:

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