Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Update: Northam in Michael Jackson Costume

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

I have expanded the photographic evidence and commentary in my previous post, in which I argued that the figure in the infamous Eastern Virginia Medical Society yearbook photo was Ralph Northam costumed as Michael Jackson. I wrote the original post as a lark, but after digging deeper, I am 95% certain that my theory is correct. The post is definitely worth re-reading. I would welcome feedback on the plausibility of my interpretation.

Update: I have made even more extensive revisions to the previous post. In addition to buttressing the case that Northam posed as Michael Jackson in the blackface photo, I have added the following sections:

  • Cherchez la femme!
  • Fat legs, skinny legs
  • Bad teeth, worse photo
  • A Bud in the hand is worth two in the bush
  • Questions of chronology
  • An alternative narrative

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8 responses to “Update: Northam in Michael Jackson Costume”

  1. Reed Fawell 3rd Avatar
    Reed Fawell 3rd

    Yep – Northam.

    And everybody knows it. But nobody wants to say, particularly those who really know it first hand. That is the old Virginia way.

  2. Fred Costello Avatar
    Fred Costello

    The blackface was just a diversion tactic. Do you remember Northam’s endorsement of infanticide — a far more immoral act?

    1. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      I’m not sure that Northam needed a diversion. I know plenty of people who would defend to the death what he said. They insist he was either misquoted or taken out of context. Whatever the cause, there has been very little blowback from the quotes.

  3. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Yes, plausible. It very well could be exactly as you say, and it may be the get up was something done more than once – a bit of a standard routine. If so, there is also a circle of friends perhaps at two schools quite willing to stand by silently and keep the secret, to protect the people in the picture and the school. Uh, are we sure that photo wasn’t at VMI? Some other location? It is highly embarrassing, but not criminal behavior, after all. Political parties are known for circling the wagons (Reagan’s commandment wasn’t just about policy.)

    This whole episode can mean something or mean nothing. If there is a reduction in the politics of personal destruction, an unwillingness to throw stones lest your own glass house be exposed, a willingness to forgive youthful stupidity, then it can mean something. It is probably too much to hope but I haven’t given up.

  4. Reed Fawell 3rd Avatar
    Reed Fawell 3rd

    Here is how I parse this affair, as I have summarized before.

    1. The photo, disgusting as it is, was long ago, a different time, and place. Had Northam stuck to his “I did it story”, made abject apology, done penance (but severely limited his doing it with other peoples” money”, he ‘d have minimized the harm.

    But:

    2/ His subsequent “performance” vastly compounded his problems and spread them across his Democratic party on several different fronts with his and its base, and his and its constituency. This outrageous performance will not be forgotten. His party’s black, Hispanica, and independent base and its energy, is weakening, even beginning to fracture. Northam’s horrible post “I did it” performance will compound this growing weakness, if Republican can pursue the opening with competence. And it will embolden and energize the Republicans on several fronts for several reasons, locally and nationally.

    3/ I disagree 100% with Jim on “little blow back on abortion quotes”. That adverse blow back has already had huge impact, locally and national. It hit like a bombshell, not only the conservative base of Republicans but many independents, and even Democrats, particularly Catholic Democrats, and Evangelicals, including Black faith driven voters. Here Northam did his cause enormous, and lasting harm, locally and nationally.

    4/ The Abortion gaff, the Black face / KKK photo, Northam’s reactions to it, and the chain reaction involving Lt. Gov., and attorney general, as those debacles ignited one another, raises a whole separate series of Impact issues.

    The big question is are the Republican’s competent enough to milk them to full advantage? That is big if, given their recent track record in Virginia.

    1. Acbar Avatar
      Acbar

      Are the Republicans competent enough? On the whole they blew the 2017 campaigns in Virginia, and look to be on the way to doing it again in 2019 with suburbanites and women, Northam notwithstanding. Nationally, in 2020 who knows at this point. According to Sabato, Rs have the odds to retain the U.S. Senate even in a moderately-Democrat wave year, despite 22 Rs in the Senate up for (re-)election, based on where those contests will occur.

  5. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I look at Northams life and career and ask if he has a reputation of hanging with white supremacists or racist organizations… or just not have relationships with blacks and/or black organizations.

    If he does not have that reputation then what is this really about?

    He made a mistake, in fact, if he had good relationships with blacks, he may have actually been emulating Jackson… complimenting him …

    It all goes back to context of his relationships with black folks overall.

    Over his life has he practiced other odious racist behaviors? is that his reputation?

    How much of this is partisan politics partially wrapped up on abortion politics and how much is really about a Gov who is actually racist?

    1. TooManyTaxes Avatar
      TooManyTaxes

      The issue is not that Northam wore blackface. But knowing he did this, he hid it during multiple elections and rather than tell his campaign team that, under the circumstances, he would not sanction campaign ads calling Gillespie a racist, Northam OKed and ran the ads. How much more cynical and hypocritical can one be? Then when he was caught in February, he admitted it was his photo only to lie the next day by claiming it wasn’t him.

      So he’s spent the last few months not apologizing to Gillespie, Gillespie’s voters, Northam’s voters and the rest of Virginia for his hypocrisy and lies but trying to curry favor with black voters. Northam has not taken personal responsibility for his actions in 1984, 2017 and 2019.

      And since his conduct has been largely covered up, most recently by the McGuire Woods law firm, he may have saved his reputation especially with the crazy left and the garbage MSM media. But Northam has not taken personal responsibility for his actions. Promoting left-wing programs does not and cannot make amends for his personal behavior and decisions.

      Northam is an extreme narcissist and sociopath. He shouldn’t have been allowed to become a physician much less an elected official.

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