# Virginia gov. yearbook page has Klan and blackface pictures **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 1, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809 "2019-02-01T22:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/61 "2019-02-02T03:38:42Z")
Option 1: Mea maxima culpa. A full and complete accounting of the facts, and let the chips fall where they may. Option 2: Resign. Option 2 is probably the path of least resistance. What I’ve seen to date doesn’t even come close to Option 1. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/62 "2019-02-02T03:43:45Z")
I’m in favor of the concept of redemption. If he’s doing a good job now, according to the voters of VA, then stuff that happened 20+ years ago should be looked at as what it is. Youthful foolishness. It was very poor taste but it wasn’t criminal. With cell phones, social media, and an eternal internet I think we should be a bit more nonchalant about decades old or even a decade old incident of jackassery. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/63 "2019-02-02T03:52:09Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I’m in favor of the concept of redemption. If he’s doing a good job now, according to the voters of VA, then stuff that happened 20+ years ago should be looked at as what it is. Youthful foolishness. It was very poor taste but it wasn’t criminal. > > With cell phones, social media, and an eternal internet I think we should be a bit more nonchalant about decades old or even a decade old incident of jackassery. If you were to judge me even by who was just _ten years ago_, you’d be looking at a completely different person. I’m embarrassed, regretful, and ashamed of some of the mistakes I’ve made just _ten years ago_! If I was fighting for what I believed in today with a new outlook, in a more mature and well-adjusted place, and somebody brought up some awful thing I did in my twenties, I’d feel deeply wronged. That’s not who I am today, that’s not what I stand for, and I distance myself from those mistakes completely, and have moved forward from them. This is called being human. And our elected officials are no different. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/64 "2019-02-02T03:56:42Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > If you were to judge me even by who was just _ten years ago_, you’d be looking at a completely different person. I’m embarrassed, regretful, and ashamed of some of the mistakes I’ve made just _ten years ago_! If I was fighting for what I believed in today with a new outlook, in a more mature and well-adjusted place, and somebody brought up some awful thing I did in my twenties, I’d feel deeply wronged. That’s not who I am today, that’s not what I stand for, and I distance myself from those mistakes completely, and have moved forward from them. > > This is called being human. And our elected officials are no different. And if you spoke so honestly about this _before you were elected_, I might well vote for you. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/65 "2019-02-02T04:00:59Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > My first reaction was “He was so young and it was so long ago.” > > My second reaction was “But Kavanaugh…” Well, exactly. They both did rude shit decades ago. One seems to have grown out of the insensitivity, and the other not so much. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/66 "2019-02-02T04:02:41Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > And if you spoke so honestly about this _before you were elected_, I might well vote for you. If politicians have to recollect every affair, every off color joke or comment, every poor choice in robes and pointy hats we might be in for a long series of confessionals. Imagine if everyone’s internet search history was public knowledge. :eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/67 "2019-02-02T04:08:55Z")
This is Governor Post Birth Abortion’s? Not the smartest is he. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/68 "2019-02-02T04:12:46Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Well, exactly. They both did rude shit decades ago. One seems to have grown out of the insensitivity, and the other not so much. Yeah, Kavanaugh was a douchebag kid who grew up to be a douchebag adult and lied about being a douchebag kid. Northam at least admitted (mostly, but without saying which person is him) to being a douchebag and offered an actual apology, not an I’m-sorry-if-you-were-offended fake apology. I lean toward thinking he should resign, but I see Northam and Kavanaugh as very different. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/69 "2019-02-02T04:13:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No doubt a lot of people will be filtered out by what they’ve said and done on social media. Is that a bad thing? Our elected officials are only a very small fraction of the population, and they should be better than us as a whole. It’s inherent in the concept that we _must_ filter the population very aggressively in order to choose our leaders. Is this a worse filter than whatever else we’d be using? > > Yes, obviously this was meant as a joke. And what that tells us is that he’s the kind of guy who finds this sort of thing funny. Given the choice of a politician who finds this sort of thing funny or one who doesn’t, I’ll take the latter. Recall that a few weeks ago, the Academy Awards chose Kevin Hart to host the Oscars this year. And shortly thereafter, he was dropped from the job due to some bad jokes on Twitter about homosexuality. And since then, they haven’t been able to find anyone to take his place. If a certain job means having every stupid or offensive thing a person has ever posted online or made public anywhere else will be dragged out in public at great length, and then used to wreck one’s career, the number of people willing to do that job may suddenly drop. To zero, in some cases. If the Democrats decide that every poorly chosen, decades-old joke by one of their politicians should be a career ender, they might likewise find that the number of people wanting to run for office as Democrats will decrease. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/70 "2019-02-02T04:18:57Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > If politicians have to recollect every affair, every off color joke or comment… Slippery slope nonsense. > [@octopus](#): > > …every poor choice in robes and pointy hats we might be in for a long series of confessionals. Perhaps it seems overly strict to you, but yes I do think any prospective candidate for high office should disclose to the voters _every_ time they have shown such appalling judgment as to dress up in blackface and KKK outfit, pose for a photo, and be proud of the funny joke. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/71 "2019-02-02T04:25:11Z")
There’s a lot of hot takes out there, but this Twitter thread is worth your time. > ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/72 "2019-02-02T04:30:18Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Slippery slope nonsense. > > Perhaps it seems overly strict to you, but yes I do think any prospective candidate for high office should disclose to the voters _every_ time they have shown such appalling judgment as to dress up in blackface and KKK outfit, pose for a photo, and be proud of the funny joke. It’s not slippery slope at all. People really aren’t thinking through the combination of eternal storage of video, text, and audio; global dissemination with social media; and demands for purity. I don’t think it’s overly strict as it is counterproductive. If people don’t feel there is redemption, especially for something that’s just very poor taste and isn’t illegal, then you run the risk of people who decide it’s not worth the effort to evolve. It’s a bit like prison. Do you want prison to strictly punish and be a place for retribution or should it be a place for rehabilitation? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/73 "2019-02-02T04:55:45Z")
Now CNN supposedly listed the governor as a Republican. You know that was no accident. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/74 "2019-02-02T04:58:23Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Now CNN supposedly listed the governor as a Republican. You know that was no accident. Right, definitely not an accident. Because nobody has spotted it, their clever ruse has pulled the wool over our eyes, and now everyone believes he’s a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/75 "2019-02-02T05:14:32Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Now CNN supposedly listed the governor as a Republican. You know that was no accident. It probably was, when I saw the headline “Calls for resignation as VA governor apologizes for racist year book photo” I assumed he was a Republican. Republicans usually have all the ‘best’ racists. We’ll see if CNN makes an on air correction or if they go the FOX News route and mention it on a web page somewhere or in some cases never make a correction at all. I don’t care if it was over 30 years ago. That means he’s had over 30 years to apologize. Instead he ‘forgot’ about it or actively buried it. He’s only chosen to apologize after he was caught. He needs to go. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/76 "2019-02-02T05:24:59Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Now CNN supposedly listed the governor as a Republican. You know that was no accident. > [@boytyperanma](#): > > It probably was, when I saw the headline “Calls for resignation as VA governor apologizes for racist year book photo” I assumed he was a Republican. Republicans usually have all the ‘best’ racists. > > We’ll see if CNN makes an on air correction or if they go the FOX News route and mention it on a web page somewhere or in some cases never make a correction at all. > I don’t care if it was over 30 years ago. That means he’s had over 30 years to apologize. Instead he ‘forgot’ about it or actively buried it. He’s only chosen to apologize after he was caught. He needs to go. Might want to note that “supposedly”. I was just over on CNN’s website; where the story identifies him as “Virginia’s Democratic governor”, and the video of the story, in an image of his statement, shows him as “D - Virginia” Just where did you hear that he was “supposedly” misidentified on CNN, octopus? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/77 "2019-02-02T05:30:06Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAXmGjtSBAM) Around second 17 in that video. Could be a Russian deepfake video though. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/78 "2019-02-02T05:40:36Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > [https://youtu.be/yAXmGjtSBAM](https://youtu.be/yAXmGjtSBAM) > > Around second 17 in that video. Could be a Russian deepfake video though. I was about to concede it looked genuine, and then I did a little more digging. First off, the part you point to puts the misidentification right over what looks like his official title bit. Okay, maybe they do that, and mistakes happen. Then, a bit further in at about second 51, the chyron correctly identifies him as (D) - Virginia. I looked a bit down the page, where it says it’s “CNN Politics Network”, which sounded a little odd to me. Clicking on that [will take you to this page](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPNO-RuJTL9yOV6THh3VZg), and then clicking the [“About” button takes you here.](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPNO-RuJTL9yOV6THh3VZg/about) > [@](#): > > Description > CNN Politics Networks brings all the latest and breaking news of Unites States Of America to you. > Like and Subscribe!!! > Thank You!!! > Details > Location: India > Stats > Joined Dec 20, 2018 > 164,329 view So, on balance, I’d say it’s a fake. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/79 "2019-02-02T05:49:33Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > I was about to concede it looked genuine, and then I did a little more digging. > First off, the part you point to puts the misidentification right over what looks like his official title bit. Okay, maybe they do that, and mistakes happen. > Then, a bit further in at about second 51, the chyron correctly identifies him as (D) - Virginia. > I looked a bit down the page, where it says it’s “CNN Politics Network”, which sounded a little odd to me. Clicking on that [will take you to this page](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPNO-RuJTL9yOV6THh3VZg), and then clicking the [“About” button takes you here.](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPNO-RuJTL9yOV6THh3VZg/about) > > So, on balance, I’d say it’s a fake. _laughing at myself_ After all that work, I had the bright idea to go to CNN’s _actual_ YouTube site, [and there it is,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WneijwUwpVU) at about 40 seconds in. _Mea culpa_, **octopus** , you were right. Northam should still resign. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/80 "2019-02-02T05:59:30Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > _Mea culpa_, **octopus** , you were right. So your prior news that the story about CNN’s fake news was fake news was fake news? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809.md?page=5)