The hallowed and deservedly respected “Twilight Zone” is coming back. But to look at recent events surrounding the oafishly misanthropic, hopelessly confused VA Governor, Ralph Northam makes one wonder if, perhaps, we haven’t been living in The Zone all along.
The events, revelations, and exposure of political and journalistic shallowness surrounding this man are so numerous, one could create a checklist to see which he or she found most offensive.
First, there was his evident support for infanticide when asked about The Repeal Act, or as MRCTV’s Eric Scheiner aptly called it, The Repeal Life Act, sponsored by the egregiously-light-on-ethics VA Delegate, Kathy Tran (D). When asked on live radio what he thought about a bill that, if it passed, would have legalized abortion straight through the final days of pregnancy, through to the point when a woman is dilating, he responded with:
The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated, if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother…
And this inspired a lot of folks to scratch their heads, because what he appeared to imply was that a baby could be born, then, afterward, the mother and doctor could discuss killing it.
Naturally, Northam went into “repair” mode, and worked to clarify his statement, and, of course, he ended up doubling-down on his earlier seeming support for infanticide, even after Tran’s bill had been tabled. Not only did he say he had no regrets, he tried to push the narrative that the strong nationwide reaction among conservative Republicans, libertarians, and conservative Democrats to his sloppy and seemingly ghoulish statements was a PR stunt concocted by the GOP.
Then, the other shoe dropped. This one was old, tattered, and appeared to reveal more of his reckless, thoughtless behavior and judgment. It was the revelation of a 1984 med-school yearbook page dedicated to him – a page that showed a photo of two men, one in blackface, the other in a mock KKK hood and robe, partying it up.
Needless to say, the pic went viral, folks also discovered that Northam’s nickname was “Coonman”, and the reaction was intensely negative.
And this time – yes, this time – the dinosaur media and leftist Dems paid attention.
Please, pop media consumers out there, feel no qualms about the governor of a state appearing to support infanticide. The folks at CNN, and the mucky-mucks in the VA and US Democrat establishment want you to know that infanticide packs nowhere near the ethical punch that a distasteful photograph from 1984 does.
And so Northam went into spin mode again. First, he confirmed that he was in the photo, saying he was deeply sorry. Of course, he didn’t reveal whether he was the “Klan member” or the man in blackface – a quandary, indeed, for a man who wouldn’t be able to win with either option.
He said:
Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now.
And he babbled on, being sure to point out all the time that had passed, and engaging in the courageous political move to focus on “healing” and moving forward – the typical, tawdry, clichéd lines spewed forth my pretty much every politician caught doing something nasty.
In the middle of this, CNN stepped in to report on the furor, because, of course, they’re so, so trustworthy (cough).
And what did they do?
They labeled liberal DEMOCRAT Governor Ralph Northam a Republican.
Indeed, the man who, mere days previous, appeared to have praised infanticide and got virtually no coverage from the “most trusted name in news” – a man who now appeared insufferably racist due to the yearbook… CNN flashed chyron beneath him that said, “R”, not “D”.
Is it any wonder why people have turned away from CNN in droves? We're all quite sure it was an honest mistake, right? Just like Northam's admission that the photo was of him must have been a mistake, right?
A day later, Northam suddenly changed his tune like a bad jukebox playing unlistenable pablum pop. Accompanied by his wife (both of them were without costumes, unless one calls the world of politics a form of theatre requiring the tried-and-true lapel pin and sharp suit) he appeared before reporters and denied he was in the photo, completely reversing his earlier statement and negating his apology faster than Bill Clinton can parse what the meaning of “is” is.
Instead, Northam said that, in fact, he had once donned blackface – a little bit of shoe polish – but not in that photo. It was, get this, for a Michael Jackson dance contest, which he gleefully told everyone within earshot that he won!
And he almost performed the moonwalk, but a warning from his wife spared us the blinding display.
Cue the Twilight Zone theme and shift to black and white. Because this truly is a bizarre moment.
Is it any wonder why, when average Americans look at the disparity between the Democrats’ nearly universal silence over Northam’s apparent support for infanticide, and their “get out there and take control of this one” criticism of his yearbook fiasco, we wonder why his seeming support for murder isn’t at least ranked as high as his distasteful, possibly racist, judgment?
I haven’t been to Virginia for a while, but I wonder if they’ve changed the signs on the borders.
I wonder if they read, “You are about to enter… the Twilight Zone.”