VA Gov. & Lt. Gov. Caught in Their Own Dem Trap
Northam’s racist past and Fairfax’s sexual-assault allegation put Democrats in a political bind.
Virginia Democrats find themselves caught in a pickle — a pickle their party is responsible for promoting and fostering. As calls continue to mount for Gov. Ralph Northam to resign over the revelation of a 1984 yearbook photo allegedly depicting him in either blackface or a KKK costume, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who would succeed Northam, is now fighting for his political life as he attempts to push back on allegations of sexual assault.
On Sunday, conservative media outlet Big League Politics, the same outfit that first published the story on Northam, broke a story alleging that Fairfax sexually assaulted a Stanford fellow back in 2004 during the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
On Monday, Fairfax called the report false, noting that “not one other reputable media outlet has seen fit to air” it. But no less than The Washington Post pushed back against his assertions that the paper had found “red flags” with his accuser’s story. The paper insisted that the only reason the editors originally chose not to publish the story was due to the fact that they could not find any corroborating witnesses. Fairfax admitted that he and his accuser did have an encounter, but he insists that it was “consensual.” Mark Alexander observes, “All such claims are ‘behind closed doors’ and can’t be corroborated. Most of these cases depend on a pattern of behavior. If another woman comes forward, Fairfax is toast.” Fairfax first took to insinuating Northam had leaked the accusation before shifting blame to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a possible competitor to Fairfax in 2021.
Initially, following the revelation of Northam’s racist 1984 yearbook photo, it appeared that Democrats were well positioned to deal with the fallout. They would get Northam to resign and then Fairfax, who just happens to be black, would step in as the “knight in shining armor” to save the day. It would reinforce Dems’ commitment to the Left’s grievance ethic, which affords no room for forgiveness or reconciliation. However, that notion quickly soured upon the revelation of sexual-assault allegations against Fairfax. And ironically, Democrats have only themselves to blame for weaponizing #MeToo’s flawed ethic of “always believe the victim” in their underhanded attempt to thwart Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Now both Northam and Fairfax are damaged goods, serving as massive beacons of Democrat hypocrisy.