Ralph Northam Is A ‘Decent Person,’ Says Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean
Occupying the headlines of U.S. media for the past few days is a scandal involving Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.
What started the scandal was a photo from Northam’s 1984 yearbook which shows two individuals in racist costumes: one wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood, and one a blackface, according to BBC.
Graham had initially apologized for the gaffe, then claimed that he is not on the photograph. “It has taken time to make sure that it’s not me but I’m convinced I’m not on that photo,” he said. However, Northam admitted that he used to blacken his face to impersonate Michael Jackson.
Calls for resignation followed. Former Vice President and potential 2020 presidential candidate, Joe Biden, wrote on Twitter that Northam has “lost all moral authority and should resign immediately.”
Interestingly, only a few days prior to Northam’s incident the Washington Examiner dug up a 1975 speech by Joe Biden. In the 1970’s, Biden advocated racial segregation and argued that integration would prevent African Americans from embracing “their own identity.”
In the aftermath of the Ralph Northam saga, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Howard Dean went on CNN to discuss the scandal his party colleague had entangled himself in, Raw Story reports.
“I believe he’s a decent person,” Dean told CNN, defending Northam, “but I think he has to resign.”
“He just can’t be effective as a governor after something like this,” he said.
The former Vermont Governor went on to add that people would have “put up with this stuff” in the past, but today they will not.
“People are not going to put up with this stuff anymore. Maybe they would have put up with it in the past, but they’re not going to put up with it now,” Dean opined.
BREAKING: Gov. Ralph Northam yearbook page shows blackface and Klan photohttps://t.co/6A89ejp5Ho
— The Virginian-Pilot (@virginianpilot) February 1, 2019
CNN host Brian Stelter pivoted to Donald Trump — pointing out that the president has not resigned despite repeatedly claiming that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States — and asked Dean whether he sees a double standard at play.
“Oh sure, there is among the Republicans. They have no morals at all,” Dean responded.
Howard Dean rips GOP hypocrisy on Trump’s racism: Republicans ‘have no morals at all’https://t.co/PzEgHvgGAv
— Raw Story (@RawStory) February 3, 2019
But members of the Republican Party are taking advantage of the situation, and seizing the opportunity to criticize the Democratic Party and accuse its members of racism. In a Twitter message, President Donald Trump described Northam’s actions as “unforgivable.”
Virginia Republicans and some conservative media figures criticized Northam as well, calling for his resignation, per reporting from Business Insider. Dozens of Northam’s party colleagues have publicly urged the Virginia governor to resign as well, according to NPR.
