Yikes

I still think Kavanaugh should have stepped down from his Supreme Court nomination, and I think Ralph Northam should step down from the governor's seat. I mean I voted for the guy, but Yikes.

Not because I don't think Kavanaugh is and will be an impartial judge, or because I don't think Ralph Northam has been and could be an effective governor, but because the only way to stop ignoring shady behavior is to... stop ignoring shady behavior.

When Matt showed me the news about Northam yesterday (the governor of our fine commonwealth if you were unaware), I thought of the scene from Clear and Present Danger where the President's advisers are telling him to cut ties with a friend who was found dead in a drug deal situation, and Harrison Ford the "Boy Scout analyst" disagrees. "If they ask if you were friends, say no, he was a good friend. If they ask if he was a good friend, say no, we were lifelong friends. It would give them no place to go. Nothing to report. No story." (Finding real-life parallels in '90s movies: always winning)(granted, that President ended up being an actual bad guy)

Not only am I surprised that Ed Gillespie's camp didn't find this photo before the election (hello), I'm disappointed that Northam didn't get ahead of the story and apologize before someone published the photo, in effect pulling the Boy Scout/Jack Ryan move of preemptive honesty. Either the stakes were too high or he forgot about the existence of the photo; neither option holds up.

From Janai Nelson of the NAACP: "While we are mindful that youth and young adults can make regrettable mistakes that may merit leniency, this image perpetuates some of the worst hate in our nation's history and undermines the ability of all Virginians--particularly those of color--to have faith in the integrity of their Governor. His failure to proactively own a mistake of this magnitude before it was discovered by others calls into question his ability to credibly lead the diverse people of Virginia. We vehemently condemn racism regardless of the political party of the offender, and Governor Northam is no exception. His apology is insufficient, and we demand his immediate resignation."

From Rep. Eric Swalwell: "No, you can't wear a black face or a white hood and lead a state. Not now and not ever. But we are merciful people. Governor Northam should step down, seek forgiveness, and through good deeds earn the respect of the African-American Community."

Northam stepping down and accepting consequences of something he did as an idiotic young adult and then tried to leave buried, will hopefully be an example to the rest of us about (a) not doing idiotic/offensive things and (b) not taking photos of them.