Virginia megathread

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Get. Him. Out.

https://twitter.com/HopeforVirginia/status/1094016005267951616?s=19

Every Democratic legislator needs to sign off to this immediately.

No
Democrats should refuse to allow any of their own to be taken down by sexual harassment issues until Republicans force Kavanaugh out.

You misspelled rape.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

There is no comparison between Brett Kavanaugh, a man who was a virgin through college and many years afterwards that allegedly made some immature jokes while drunk (uncorroborated) and at worst rising to a level comparable to groping as a teenager (still highly questionable), and Justin Fairfax, a man who explicitly identified vulnerable women and forced himself upon them because he knew they would not hold him accountable at the time. The left will try to tell you these are the same thing, but it's not even in the same state.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

So am I the only person who thinks Herring should stay?

I can see that what he did 40 years ago might be offensive, but that was also a common thing back then. I vaguely remember an SNL sketch that did basically the same thing he did. I know it doesn't seem right by today's standards, but that was common in the '80s.

[DavidB.]

So am I the only person who thinks Herring should stay?

Everyone thinks he can stay.

[Brittain33]

!!!

https://twitter.com/leonorgrave/status/1093675006247227392

This was a thing in the culture at that time, even tv shows had plots about slave auction fundraisers and who gets to buy whom.  Obviously insensitive in hindsight to the hurt caused by slavery in our nation's history, but the people participating in these things just didn't think of it in those terms or as anything to do with blacks or racial issues.

In NJ in high school, I saw this go from "slave auction" ca. 1990 to "servant auction" to "service auction" by 1995.

[Brittain33]

So am I the only person who thinks Herring should stay?

I can see that what he did 40 years ago might be offensive, but that was also a common thing back then. I vaguely remember an SNL sketch that did basically the same thing he did. I know it doesn't seem right by today's standards, but that was common in the '80s.

No, it looks like consensus is that his issue was lesser (He was 18 and pretending to be a rapper, not 26 and putting that picture in the yearbook) and he handled it better from the getgo.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

[Gass3268]

Generic ballot for the state legislature is still great for Democrats at D+8. They still look to be on path to take control of the legislature in November. Trump is a bigger drag than Northam/Fairfax/etc.

https://twitter.com/kkondik/status/1094242838961946625

[RI]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/politics/northam-says-hes-not-in-racist-picture-because-hes-left-handed-while-men-in-kkk-blackface-are-right-handed.amp

Ralph Northam says it’s not him in the photos because he’s left handed while the people in the picture are right handed.

If it's not him, then why on earth would he have that pic on his page?

[SteveRogers]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/politics/northam-says-hes-not-in-racist-picture-because-hes-left-handed-while-men-in-kkk-blackface-are-right-handed.amp

Ralph Northam says it’s not him in the photos because he’s left handed while the people in the picture are right handed.

Has he explained yet why he initially apologized for being in the picture if he’s not in the picture?

[RogueBeaver]

Northam tells WaPo he overreacted to the photo, has been thinking about white privilege, and wants investigations of the photo and Fairfax situation. Will spend his term focusing on equity.

[Hammy]

Get. Him. Out.

https://twitter.com/HopeforVirginia/status/1094016005267951616?s=19

Every Democratic legislator needs to sign off to this immediately.

No
Democrats should refuse to allow any of their own to be taken down by sexual harassment issues until Republicans force Kavanaugh out.

So basically just legalize sexual assault then because that's never going to happen. This is completely stupid because for one it tells victims they're only worth hearing once the abusers personally take responsibility, and second the Dems have zero interest in being different from the GOP.

[Santander]

He says he’s left handed but apparently (according to the article and this picture) he writes with his right hand.

Lefties often write with their right hand, either because they were taught to, or to avoid the characteristic smudges and sloppiness of left-handed writing.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Generic ballot for the state legislature is still great for Democrats at D+8. They still look to be on path to take control of the legislature in November. Trump is a bigger drag than Northam/Fairfax/etc.

https://twitter.com/kkondik/status/1094242838961946625

Why would Northam's troubles hurt Democrats? Every one of them has condemned him and asked for his resignation. South Carolina Republicans weren't hurt by Sanford's Appalachian trail hiking, neither were Alabama Republicans by Bentley and Moore's scandals.

[ON Progressive]

Generic ballot for the state legislature is still great for Democrats at D+8. They still look to be on path to take control of the legislature in November. Trump is a bigger drag than Northam/Fairfax/etc.

https://twitter.com/kkondik/status/1094242838961946625

Why would Northam's troubles hurt Democrats? Every one of them has condemned him and asked for his resignation. South Carolina Republicans weren't hurt by Sanford's Appalachian trail hiking, neither were Alabama Republicans by Bentley and Moore's scandals.

Also, CT Dems weren't hurt by Malloy's awful approvals, picking up a dozen House seats and 3 Senate seats in November. OK Republicans weren't hurt by Fallin's approvals, actually having a net gain in the House. In both those cases, the bad approvals were actually because state government was having issues, unlike here where it's just personal scandals.

Let us not forget Missouri Republicans too. The Attorney General was able to knock out an incumbent Democratic Senator despite the Gretiens scandal which occurred 5 months before the election. We're 9 months away from 2019.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Generic ballot for the state legislature is still great for Democrats at D+8. They still look to be on path to take control of the legislature in November. Trump is a bigger drag than Northam/Fairfax/etc.

https://twitter.com/kkondik/status/1094242838961946625

Why would Northam's troubles hurt Democrats? Every one of them has condemned him and asked for his resignation. South Carolina Republicans weren't hurt by Sanford's Appalachian trail hiking, neither were Alabama Republicans by Bentley and Moore's scandals.

You could argue if Bentley never had that scandal Luther Strange would have won the primary

[Badger]

It's ironic that what began as a blackface scandal will end in the resignation of the state's black Lieutenant Governor, while the white Governor and Attorney General get off. The optics of this definitely are not good for the Democrats.

I don't think removing someone with multiple credible accusations of sexual assault and rape from office would count as bad optics.

Especially when Republicans explicitly and fervently take the deny deny minimize deny route in the same situation. The allegations here are not even quite to the same level as those against Kavanaugh, but you all rode his and Trump's shock to The Bitter End. Shame Shame Shame Shame Shame.

 Oh wait , none of you know the meaning of that word.

[RogueBeaver]

https://twitter.com/jmartNYT/status/1094323251491287041

[Woody]

https://twitter.com/jmartNYT/status/1094323251491287041

It doesn't matter anyway. Fairfax is done for.

[OSR stands with Israel]

It's ironic that what began as a blackface scandal will end in the resignation of the state's black Lieutenant Governor, while the white Governor and Attorney General get off. The optics of this definitely are not good for the Democrats.

I don't think removing someone with multiple credible accusations of sexual assault and rape from office would count as bad optics.

Especially when Republicans explicitly and fervently take the deny deny minimize deny route in the same situation. The allegations here are not even quite to the same level as those against Kavanaugh, but you all rode his and Trump's shock to The Bitter End. Shame Shame Shame Shame Shame.

 Oh wait , none of you know the meaning of that word.

They are worse since these are actually corroborated

[Zaybay]

https://twitter.com/jmartNYT/status/1094323251491287041

[Fuzzy Bear]

To those comparing wearing blackface to rape, I remind you that the former isn't a crime while the latter most certainly is.

A truly rare example of total agreement.

[Calthrina950]

To those comparing wearing blackface to rape, I remind you that the former isn't a crime while the latter most certainly is.

A truly rare example of total agreement.

[Kevin]

VA Dems now embracing BDSer's.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/8/virginia-democrats-add-anti-semitism-accusation-pa/

[Bandit3 the Worker]

VA Dems now embracing BDSer's.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/8/virginia-democrats-add-anti-semitism-accusation-pa/

The Washington Times??? Really???