Lets Pile on... The Purity test continues

[Rustyeye77]

Last edited Sun Feb 3, 2019, 01:28 PM - Edit history (1)

So now a stupid immature action 34 years -- not illegal--just stupid...three and a half DECADES AGO

No forgiveness..we dont forgive

No caring

No second chances

It doesnt matter what he has done for THE PAST 34 YEARS !! NOPE !!

It doesnt matter his first act as Gov was protecting people of color against racism.


Nope... send him packing.

Pick him apart and eat our own

Lets pile on and run off a decent man for a dumb thing ...34 friggin years ago.


AL FRANKEN ... WHERE HAVE YOU GONE

[democratisphere]

1. Yep. We've seen this show before.

Now we're into reruns.

[manor321]

2. Cut out this goddamned bullshit. He was 25 years old and it was 1984

I was a teenager in 1984 so I know it was outrageously racist back then.

He also voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004. So not exactly 35 years ago, is it? He was 44 in 2004.

He has to go.

What we have here is a few ignorant people who want to force African Americans to be represented by this asshole.

[mcar]

38. This!

[Honeycombe8]

43. Exactly. It was long ago, and he was a young man. And he wasn't making fun of anyone...

like the Erkel guy who just resigned (he was in his mid-thirties & dressed up to make fun of Katrina victims).

I don't live in Virginia, though. Not my governor. I'm sure Virginians will decide what to do without our help.

[atreides1]

51. Okay!

I don't understand what him voting for Bush has to do with the yearbook photo!


I'm the same age as Northam, let me tell you, racism was doing well in the 1980's!

Here's a few examples that made the news:

From 1981 to 1997, the United States Department of Agriculture discriminated against tens of thousands of black American farmers, denying loans that were provided to white farmers in similar circumstances. The discrimination was the subject of the Pigford v. Glickman lawsuit brought by members of the National Black Farmers Association, which resulted in two settlement agreements of $1.25 billion in 1999 and of $1.15 billion in 2009.

During the 1980s and '90s a number of riots occurred that were related to longstanding racial tensions between police and minority communities. The 1980 Miami riots were catalyzed by the killing of an African-American motorist by four white Miami-Dade Police officers. They were subsequently acquitted on charges of manslaughter and evidence tampering.

[Sneederbunk]

3. K&R

[PTWB]

4. He can be a changed man in private !

He can work on doing good as a private citizen! We have High standards for our party leaders for a reason. He has no business being a Governor representing our party and our people.

NO current and NO former racists, no matter how reformed, need apply for party leadership. We are BeTTER than that.

[Honeycombe8]

44. He's not a party leader. He's an elected Governor of a state.

The people of Virginia will decide what to do. They've been electing Governors for many years.

It would be different, if he were a Senator. Like, say, Robert Byrd. I wonder if the Senators when Byrd was Senator called on him to resign? (Byrd had been a KKK officer and actually lobbied against the Civil Rights Act.) But people can and do change. He was good friends with Teddy Kennedy.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. He can work on his second chances and know people care outside of the governor's office.

It's like you think there's only one person in the whole state of Virginia who can fight against Confederate statues.

He's hurting black people NOW and he's hurting the Democratic Party NOW.

This isn't a "stupid" or "dumb" thing. It's a racist thing that he can work on privately.

Your post belittles the pain racist incidents cause POC and erases their experience.

[Codeine]

6. Dumb? Immature?

Dude, it was a deliberate act of hate, that’s what blackface is. Even in 1985 people knew that shit was wrong. I was a teenager and I knew it was racist and horrible. For an intelligent grown man to don blackface or Klan robes - be it 35 years ago or 35 days ago, even as “joke” - is utterly unacceptable for a man who wants to represent a diverse state.

[Rustyeye77]

7. I am of fan of your posts.

I respectfully disagree.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. They Even Quit Showing Cartoons That Had Blackface Characters

A notable Bugs Bunny short comes to mind!
Everyone knew blackface was an insult.

[GemDigger]

8. I take it you are OK with all the racist republicans too? I don't mean the person but the racism.

If we hold onto our racist then we have NO right to gripe about the republicans.

[Rustyeye77]

12. Obviously you're OK with what happened to AL FRANKEN.

You and KIRSTEN OF COURSE.

How about some relativism

[GemDigger]

16. Apples and garlic.

How about some relativism.

I am pissed about what happened to Franken because they didn't get all the information out before they mashed him. Franken was responsible about his actions and voluntarily left without a fight because he accepted the results of his actions. I respect Franken for how he handled it.

Northram posted all the information needed, for all to see and then fucked around with his excuses. Northram is now denying what he has previously said and what we have seen for ourselves. I have NO respect for how Northram is handling his actions.

[DFW]

45. For the record

Al Franken left because the governor of Minnesota picked his successor before he had made any decision to leave. THAT was the straw that broke the camel's back. He had no "actions" to be atoning for. He was totally blindsided by the whole scam, and was trying to figure out just what the hell he had done that rose to the level of major offense. He "apologized" for anything that may have unintentionally come across as harassment because at no point had he consciously made any such moves, or been told so at the time by anyone supposedly offended.

Al was completely railroaded by stupid, hasty and opportunistic responses to a Republican scam that was based on innuendo and concocted offenses. The Republican hit team took shots in the dark, and got lucky because of the timing of the Doug Jones Senate race. They figured, correctly, that they were better off having Doug Jones in the Senate if they could silence Al Franken's voice. Roy Moore would just have been an embarrassment to them anyway. Al was slow to react because he knew there was nothing he had done to react to. He never counted on his fellow Democrats falling for it and jumping on the bandwagon for their own convenient reasons. I share his disgust at his treatment, and it is the reason I will not support any of his Senate detractors in the primaries. His reticence to comment publicly is something I continue to marvel at, but do not feel obliged to share. If it's "off the record," I obviously respect and follow that wish to the letter, but you can take the above as "reliable" unless there is someone here who has talked to him since January 18th who has heard something different.

Other than Republican "research" being the source of Northam's dilemma, I don't see any parallels at all.

[Tipperary]

46. Well said.

That is exactly what happened to him, and it’s a damn shame.

[GemDigger]

56. "Other than Republican "research" being the source of Northam's dilemma, I don't see any parallels"

I think that is what I said with fewer words. Franken and Northram are like apples and garlic. No comparison. One accepted responsibility and one is not.

[DFW]

57. Not exactly accurate

Al accepts that he was the victim of a scam, but feels no responsibility for that which he never committed, certainly not what the Republicans invented out of thin air. He was scammed and then railroaded by people who should never have fallen for it. He accepts that he was the victim, but he does not accept that he was caught being guilty for anything of which he was accused. He is only too aware of who profited from the whole scam, and who tried to. Again, if he has changed his mind about any of that since January 18th, I can claim no knowledge about that.

[GemDigger]

58. Start at my original comment #8 and what I was responding too.

Franken kept peoples respect by how he left the party. Northum is a pos.

I am not bashing Franken, I am praising how he responded. I am bashing Northum for the most obvious of reasons. You cannot argue with his pictures or his responses. He is an asshole and needs to go days ago.

[DFW]

61. I responed to your "Franken was responsible about his actions"

He took it gracefully, but he had no "actions" to be responsible for.

[GemDigger]

62. I agree and my phrasing was wrong.

Thanks for clarifying for me.

[guillaumeb]

10. He lied.

The first story had him apologizing for what he admitted doing.

Now, he claims that he never did anything.

So which statement is the truth?

[Sinistrous]

13. We are so lucky to have folks like you who can delve so accurately into

others' states of mind.

Was he confused?
What kind of pressure was he under? To make which statement?
Was his memory fuzzy after three and a half decades?

Nah. He flat out lied. We have your word on it.l

[guillaumeb]

14. He presented 2 contradictory stories.

So which truth is the truth?

He was not asked at a surprise press conference, he came up with these 2 stories.

[Sinistrous]

23. The point you so glibly ignored is that

there are reasons other than "lying" to explain contradictions.

[guillaumeb]

27. I did.

I did not.

There might be political reasons, but the 2 stories are contradictory.

[Sinistrous]

65. Whatever.

[pintobean]

29. And the reasons you give

still undercut his qualifications to be governor.

[Sinistrous]

37. Oh really!? Human frailities are disqualifying for leadership?

[NYC Liberal]

60. So if his "memory was fuzzy"

that means he thought there was a possibility it might be him. Which means either he did it in this instance, or did similar things at some point.

Someone who had never done anything like that wouldn’t have a fuzzy memory. They’d know they never did it.

[Freelancer]

11. People are going to be pissed. That's only natural.

He's obviously unqualified for office. Just look at the horrible oversized wheel and rim combination he put on that classic corvette in the yearbook photos. Disgusting!

Yes, it was 1984. All white men knew that was forbidden territory -- taboo. But, to some stupid white twenty-somethings, that makes it tantamount to a dare -- like leaping off the third floor balcony into the pool during spring break. It doesn't necessarily mean he was making a racist declaration.

That being said, he should resign. This is going interfere way too much with fulfilling his duties as governor and there's a perfectly qualified lieutenant governor who could take over.

[Rustyeye77]

15. Kirsten Gillebrand

was pro-choice

Received an A rating from the NRA

RAN OFF AL FRANKEN OUT OF TOWN !!

But lets rip a THIS dem to shreds

[kelly1mm]

21. And she was a Tobacco lawyer! She jacks judgement to be President! nt

[Renew Deal]

53. Franken ran himself out of town

He chose to resign after admitting wrongdoing. Why didn’t he stick around like Northam?

[Trumpocalypse]

59. ok

https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/stevens/ct-life-stevens-wednesday-kirsten-gillibrand-al-franken-0116-story.html

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/01/18/why-make-kirsten-gillibrand-suffer-for-what-franken-did/rFemkikQBgR2OBHXkSQHHP/story.html

[EffieBlack]

17. He doesn't have to be governor to atone

[Rustyeye77]

18. And he doesnt need to be run out of town either

He can be a positive force in his position as Gov.

Same for Al Franken

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. Every prominent Democrat and progressive group has called for his resignation.

The governor's mansion isn't the appropriate venue to work through his racial issues.

[EffieBlack]

22. No one is trying to "run him out of town"

But he doesn't need to be governor to be a positive force. Not only is a governor's office is NOT the place for a person to work out their shit, his continued presence there is a major negative for the Democrats.

It is ridiculous to expect the entire party to fall on its swords to protect this one man. For the good of the party and the state, he needs to leave office.

[ProudLib72]

24. My sense is that he is not ready to atone

He's ready to 'splain.

[EffieBlack]

25. Yep.

The proof that he hasn't atoned is that he's never mentioned it. Part of atonement is acknowledging the wrongdoing, which he still hasn't done. Well, he kind of did before he took it back.

[Tipperary]

49. He has been lying.

I already thought he should resign, but that made it inevitable.

[ananda]

20. No comparison.

Al Franken's case was a Roger Stone setup that certain
Dems fell for.

Northam's case is entirely different. He really does need
to step down.

[peggysue2]

30. I Agree

Franken's case involved accusations and the gag photo on a USO flight. Then it cascaded with other accusations and the immediate condemnation of a swath of sitting Democrats. The 'credible' accusations were never fully explored and Franken's defense was muted at best in the avalanche of finger-pointing. I read that Schumer finally met with Franken and strongly suggested he give it up. As for Democratic members? We never found out if the 'other' accusations were credible or not. That decision was made for us.

With Northam we have the man speaking directly in his own defense: a photo apology, then next day a rescinded apology--that's not me--plus an admission of another blackface moment with the Michael Jackson (little shoe polish on the cheeks) dance contest. The man's credibility was put on view and judged by his own words, his incredibly faulty memory (sorry, most cognitively sound people would recall if they ever dressed in blackface or a Klan sheet) and then his inability to address the nickname 'Coonman.'

One man we barely heard from during the fracas, the other man simply isn't believable.

Those responsible for putting these incidents into motion might very well be from the same source: Republican ratfuckers. But the cases themselves are entirely different.

Northam bears full responsibility for his actions. Had he been entirely open about his past, offered a sincere apology and explanation, the outcome might have been different. I agree with Terry McAuliffe: Northam squandered his moral authority and should step down.

As for Franken? The only thing we know at this point is we lost a damn good senator.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. Defending a

Defending a politician who wore blackface in 1984 and was a Repug up until 2007 isn't a hill I want to die on or for my party to die on.

[lapucelle]

28. This is not a purity test. He needs to resign. N/T

[Kurt V.]

31. what if it was 25 yrs ago. 15, 5. Where's the line?

[Cold War Spook]

48. I don't know if how many years ago something happened is as important

as how old the person was and what has been this persons track record up to now.

[LongtimeAZDem]

32. Many Native Americans are offended by Elizabeth Warren, and she was a Republican unil 1996

There is nothing innocent about a white woman claiming her ancestors experienced genocide. Democrats that tone deaf can't represent people of color.

Elizabeth Warren's 'part' Cherokee claim is a joke, and a racist insult to Natives like me

[peggysue2]

34. When did Elizabeth Warren . . .

claim her ancestors experienced genocide? Granted the DNA reveal was clumsy at best. But her story about Native American heritage, stories passed down through generations, is not that uncommon. In fact, my husband as a similar family story. Warren allowed herself to be goaded by the true racist, Donald Trump. His constant harangue of calling her Pocahontas was never funny; it was disgusting. She should have let it rest, allowed him to continue to make an ass out of himself.

[LongtimeAZDem]

33. Tulsi Gabbard railed against "homosexual extremists" as a 22 year old state representative,

and before that, took part in a video where gay marriage was equated with bestiality.

I have yet to hear a call for her to resign.

[qazplm135]

35. I don't forgive racist acts then

I don't forgive lying about it now. I don't forgive coonman. I don't forgive a second instance.

Because he hid it all. I never had a chance to forgive, and he never took a chance to atone.

So no, fuck him...he should resign.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

36. He's killing us.

[Iggo]

39. "No blackface" is not a purity test.

[Empowerer]

40. A pretty low bar to have to clear

It's really not too much to ask, is it?

[Iggo]

41. Not too much to ask, at all.

[Texasgal]

42. Please...

stop twisting yourself into pretzel trying to defend this!

Good GRIEF! I EXPECT more out of our elected officials PERIOD. What is so hard to understand about that?

[RandiFan1290]

47. He's welcome back in the republicon party

Where he belongs

[LexVegas]

50. And this was written after his press conference?

[Renew Deal]

52. If being against the klan is a measure of purity then we need to cleanse

I will oppose all candidates that were in the klan or pretended to be. What about you?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

55. We all choose our battles

Defending blackface and wearing Klan regalia is not a hill I'm prepared to die on.

[Rustyeye77]

63. C'mon ..give me a break

i wasnt defending those actions and you know it.!!!

My point was this occurred 35 years ago.

THIRTY FIVE YEARS AGO.

Doesn't he deserve some evaluation of the past 35 years ??

His first action as Gov was signing a law proctecting people of color...does that count?

He took the lead in Charlotteville condemning the nazi scum....does that not count ??

Do we not look at the mans full life ??...not just one stupid insensitive action

Show a little forgiveness...everyone needs it one day

[DemocratSinceBirth]

64. I do have a modicum of sympathy for him but he's hurting the party.

He's a physician. He can go back to iy and have a nice private life.

[DonCoquixote]

66. then heshould have owned up to it

before runnign for office and putting us in a postion where the GOP can say "we can do blacface too, nyah nyah!"