VIRGINIA POLITICS HAVE DOMINATED THE HEADLINES RECENTLY AS BOTH
THE GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL BOTH FACE SEPARATE
SCANDALS INVOLVING THE USE OF BLACK FACE IN THEIR PASTS.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS FACING ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT. WITH TOP LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE
IN TURMOIL, I SAT DOWN WITH PROFESSOR DOUGLAS AT AMHERST
COLLEGE FOR HIS ANALYSIS. >> IT'S A MESS.
THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE IN TROUBLE.
ONE IS THE GOVERNOR, THE OTHER IS THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND
THE OTHER IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
IN THE CASE OF THE GOVERNOR, AND IN THE CASE OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, ATTORNEY GENERAL HARRING, THEY BOTH ENGAGED IN
ACTS OF BLACK FACING EARLIER IN THEIR LIVES.
AND IN THE CASE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THIS IS LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR FAIRFAX, HE'S ACCUSED OF HAVING ENGAGED IN SEXUAL
ASSAULT AND I GUESS TWO WOMEN HAVE BROUGHT ALLEGATIONS OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST HIM. AND CERTAINLY IN THE CASE OF THE
GOVERNOR AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THESE ARE NOT
ALLEGATIONS OF THEM ENGAGING IN BLACK FACING BUT READILY
ACKNOWLEDGED THEY DID THAT. >> BEFORE THIS CAME UP WITH THE
GOVERNOR, AS FAR AS RACIST PHOTOS, HE WAS ALREADY IN HOT
WATER WITH COMMENTS HE MADE ABOUT LATE-TERM ABORTION PRIOR
TO THIS STORY BREAKING. HE HAS SAID HE WON'T RESIGN, BUT
MANY PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDE OF THE AISLE HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR HIM
TO RESIGN AND WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> IT'S INTERESTING.
WITHIN VIRGINIA ITSELF, THERE HAVE BEEN POLS CONDUCTED O
SEE IF THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA TO SEE IF HE SHOULD RESIGN AND IF
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, HE ENJOYS SOLID SUPPORT.
I THINK 58% OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN VIRGINIA
SUPPORT HIM STAYING ON AS GOVERNOR.
AND, PERHAPS, NOT COINCIDENTLY IT BECOMES THE MAJORITY OF
REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA WHO WANT TO SEE HIM RESIGNING.
SO THERE'S PARTISAN POLITICS GOING ON AND IT IS THE CASE THAT
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS WITHIN VIRGINIA THEMSELVES HAVE CALLED
FOR HIS RESIGNATION. >> HOW DO YOU MOVE FORWARD FROM
THAT? SURELY THEY'RE EMBARRASSED BY IT
AND HOW DO YOU RECOVER? >> IT'S A TRICKY THING.
HE HIMSELF ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS A KIND OF RACIST AND OFFENSIVE
ACT. AS YOU RECALL, HE KIND OF -- THE
FIRST ALLEGATIONS BROUGHT AGAINST HIM WAS THAT HE APPEARED
IN BLACK FACE IN THE PHOTO IN HIS MEDICAL SCHOOL YEARBOOK,
WHERE IT APPEARED THERE WAS ONE PERSON BLACK FACE AND A MAN NEXT
TO HIM WEARING A KU KLUX KLAN HOOD AND AT FIRST HE BELIEVED HE
WAS ONE OF THE TWO IN THAT PHOTOGRAPH AND HE WALKED THAT
BACK AND SAID NO, THAT WASN'T ME.
BUT I DID DRESS UP AS MICHAEL JACKSON IN BLACK FACE AT SOME
OTHER PARTY IN THE SAME YEAH THAT PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN.
SO HE WALKED IT BACK AND AT THE SAME TIME HE DIDN'T WALK IT BACK
BUT READILY ACKNOWLEDGED IT'S A RACIST AND OFFENSIVE ACT THAT HE
ENGAGED IN. AND IN TERMS OF HOW DOES ONE
REHABILITATE ONE'S SELF-AFTER THAT, IT'S A TRICKY THING.
THIS DID HAPPEN IN 1984 AND PART OF THE WHOLE FACEBOOK CULTURE
THAT WE LIVE IN NOW IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA CULTURE IS, DOES
EVERY PERSON WANT TO BE DEFINED BY THE STUPIDEST ACT THEY'VE
EVER COMMITTED IN THEIR LIVES? AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S
ENTIRELY FAIR TO SAY ENNATURING IN ENGAGING
ACT MAKES THEM RACIST. MAYBE THAT'S ONE OF THE THICKS
WE THINGS WE SEE IN THE POLL IN VIRGINIA
WHERE YOU SEE A SUBSTANTIAL POLL OF THE POPULATION SUPPORTING
GOVERNOR NORTHHAM. >> BUT AFTER THAT, THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL CAME FORWARD WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION AS WELL AND
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S EXTREMELY HURTFUL THATS THAT EVEN A PART
OF THE POLITICS IN VIRGINIA. SO FOR THE DEMOCRATS, THAT HAS
TO BE A DIFFICULT THING TO OVERCOME.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
WHERE THEY HAVE TO COME FORWARD OPENLY AND SAY, LOOK, AS A WHITE
PERSON -- AGAIN, IF I WERE SCRIPTING IT FOR THEM, I WOULD
SAY, I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF A RACIST BUT I GREW UP IN A
CULTURE IN WHICH THESE RACIST ATTITUDES WERE DEEPLY, DEEPLY
EMBEDDED AND I ENGAGED IN HURTFUL BEHAVIOUR THAT I I WAS
AN ADULT AT THIS TIME AND CAN'T PASS THIS OFF AS CHILDHOOD
BEHAVIOUR BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS A LEARNING MOMENT FOR ME.
I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THEY CAN DO AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT
NORTHHAM HAS TRIED DO. HE'S EVEN MET WITH
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND SAID THAT HE'S
READING A TON OF COATT'S BOOK, THE CASE OF REPARATION AND THAT
BOOK FROM THE 1970S ABOUT SLAVERY.
I THINK HE'S TRYING TO TURN THIS INTO A TEACHING MOMENT.
>> A LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WITH ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULT AND YOU
HAVE THE GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND IN THE MIST OF MIDF
THAT, NOT A LOT COMING FORWARD. >> YOU HAVE A CURIOUS SITUATION
WHERE YOU HAVE A WHITE GOVERNOR AND A WHITE ATTORNEY GENERAL
POSSIBLY SURVIVING THESE RACIST INCIDENTS AND YOU HAVE AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR LOOKING AT THIS STAGE
MORE VULNERABLE, BECAUSE IT DOES LOOK LIKE THESE ALLEGATIONS OF
ASSAULT ARE QUITE SERIOUS. AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO
EMPHASIZE THEY ARE ALLEGATIONS. >> WHICH HE HAS DENIED.
>> WHICH HE HAS DENIED. >> OF COURSE, AGAIN, YOU NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE DESTROYING SOMEONE'S
CAREER, YOU'RE DOING IT ON THE BASIS OF TRULY CREDIBLE
EVIDENCE, WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THE EVIDENCE ISN'T CREDIBLE
AGAINST HIM BUT WE NEED TO HEAR MORE.
>> IT HAS TO BE VETTED. >> OF COURSE, IT NEEDS TO BE
VETTED AND VALIDATED. >> SO WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?
IN THEMIDST OF THIS, THERE'S A CRISIS AND WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE
RESIGNS OR ALL THREE RESIGN? ALTHOUGH, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE
THAT'S THE LIKELY SCENARIO. IF IT LOOKS LIKE ALL THREE
RESIGNED, A REPUBLICAN WOULD COME IN AS GOVERN, WHICH
CERTAINLY DOESN'T MAKE THE POLITICAL SITUATION DOWN THERE
MANY FOR THE DEMOCRATS. SO THIS, REALLY, MOVING FORWARD,
IT'S A WAIT AND SEE SITUATION. >> IT'S CERTAINLY A COMPLICATED
SITUATION. AGAIN, IT'S NOT COINCIDENTAL
THAT YOU FIND REPUBLICANS CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF
ALL THREE. >> ALTHOUGH DEMOCRATS ARE --
>> EXACTLY, DON'T GET ME WRONG. DEMOCRATS HAVE CALLED FOR IT AS
WELL. BUT THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF
PARTISAN POLITICS ALWAYS KIND OF REARING ITS HEAD SINCE THE
REPUBLICANS, AS YOU POINT OUT, WOULD CONSTANT TO BE THE
BENEFICIAL BENEFICIARIES OF ALL THREE.
IT DOES SEEM TO BE THE CASE THE GOVERNOR IS QUITE STEADFAST HE
WILL NOT RESIGN AND LIKEWISE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SEEMS
TO BE THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FAIRFAX, THE MOST VULNERABLE AT
THIS STAGE. EVEN TODAY OR YESTERDAY, I
THINK, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT LESS PRESSURE COMING
FROM THE DEMOCRATS WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE IN VIRGINIA TO SEE
HIM RESIGNING IMMEDIATELY. I THINK THEY ARE WAITING TO SEE
A KIND OF MORE FULLER VETTING OF THE ALLEGATIONS.
>> YOU MENTIONED PARTISAN POLITICS AND WHEN PEOPLE SEE
THESE THINGS UNFOLD -- AND CERTAINLY IN THE POLITICAL
CLIMATE IN OUR COUNTRY, PEOPLE ARE FIRED UP ON BOTH SIDES.
AND PEOPLE ARE KIND OF SICK OF ALL OF THESE THINGS AS SCANDALS.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO PEOPLE SORT OF PROCESS THIS AND STILL BELIEVE
IN THE SYSTEM? >> WELL, HOPEFULLY WHAT THEY DO
IS THEY LET THE INFORMATION PLAY ITSELF OUT.
THAT'S CERTAINLY THE CASE WITH THE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS,
WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE THE SERIOUSNESS AND THE TRUTHFULNESS
AND THE CREDIBILITY OF THOSE ALLEGATIONS PLAY ITSELF OUT.
WITH REGARD TO THE BLACK FACE INCIDENTS, THAT'S A QUESTION
ABOUT HOW WE RECKON OF A HISTORY OF RACISM, RACIAL INJUSTICE IN
THIS COUNTRY. AND IT COULD BE -- IT LOOK LIKE
ONE OF THE THINGS NORTHHAM IS TRYING TO SAY HE'S GOING TO
REDOUBLE HIS DEDICATION TO ISSUES SUCH AS LOW INCOME
HOUSING, INVESTING IN EDUCATION, INVESTING IN TRANSPORTATION.
AND SO I THINK WHAT HE'S TRYING TO SAY, DON'T JUDGE ME ON THE
IDOTCY OF MY PAST BEHAVIOUR. >> BUT CRITICS MAY SAY THAT HE
IS DOING THAT BECAUSE HE GOT CAUGHT.
>> MAYBE THAT'S TRUE. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT'S HOW THE
PROGRESSIVE POLITICS HAS TO DEVELOP BUT MAYBE IT IS THE
SILVER LINING OF AN OTHERWISE KIND OF UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT.