Hoo boy, where to start.
I've been chatting with some fellow progressives about this, and some have wanted to show that they're hardheaded tough guys by adopting the GOP approach to damage control. When one of the GOP's finest is outed as having committed some heinous act, her/his colleagues make a studied shrug of the shoulders, deflect folks' attention, engage in a little "whataboutism," and try to change the subject. Said progressives wonder why Northam is being given the "Al Franken treatment." Like Franken, they suggest, Northam did something stupid when he was young but he has since grown up and devoted the rest of his career to doing, presumably, less stupid things.
Let's be clear: there is a big difference between what Franken and Northam did. Franken acted like an ass and subsequently apologized for it before his act was made public. When it was made public, he didn't hesitate; he apologized again and resigned. In contrast, Northam chose to hide behind the little-know eleventh commandment, probably inserted by some aspiring politician from among the wandering Hebrews when Moishe wasn't looking. You know the one I'm talking about: "Thous Shalt Not Get Caught."
Northam kept his miscreant behavior buried over the course of four electoral campaigns over the past two decades and probably had no intention of ever letting folks know about it. What about Robert Byrd, some folks ask? He was a grand wizard of the KKK and went on to become one of the "lions" of the Senate. That occurred some 80 years ago, when it was not only acceptable but also probably recommended for white power holders to be card-carrying members of that domestic terrorist outfit. It's no excuse, just acknowledging historical reality, I'm afraid.
But posing as a Klansman or in blackface in 1984? Where had Northam been for the last 20 years, during the civil rights movement and subsequent enactment of affirmative action policies? Did he have his head buried somewhere? Maybe in a white hood and robes? There's really no excuse. And then failing to disclose it to the electorate not once, but four times? Pretty cowardly and bereft of any semblance of integrity.
Thankfully, most Democratic leaders and activists just aren't having it, calling for Northam to resign...by yesterday. Still, like a bad cold, he lingers, chipping away at whatever advantage the Democrats thought they might still have in the moral authority department. Evidently, he's now becoming a political liability, although I really hope that the Democratic faithful realize that what Northam did and the need to hold him accountable is important, and not just to safeguard a temporary political advantage. It's about integrity and the legitimacy of the norms that Democrats have (rightfully) been making such a big fuss about protecting.
I'm a big believer in leadership that requires someone to model the behavior they demand of others. "Do as I say, not as I do" is never a good policy, either in interpersonal relationships or in public office. Otherwise, one's leadership lacks integrity and ends up doing more harm than good. Speaking of which, did "Doctor" Northam ever consider his actions in light of his having taken the Hippocratic oath? Maybe he got it confused with his own hypocritical oath. Well, that'll learn him: his cowardice has wrecked his political career and may potentially wreck Democrats' attempts to differentiate themselves from the sociopathic narcissistic president and his amoral GOP enablers.
That's our Ralph. A closet white supremacist and quite the little House (and Senate) Wrecker.
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