Calm down, everybody. Ralph Northam couldn’t possibly have posed in a racist photo or done anything racist. Some of his med school classmates are vouching for his unimpeachable character:
NEW: Letter from nine of @RalphNortham med school classmates:
“We fully believe Governor Ralph Northam is neither of the individuals in those repugnant costumes. We attended classes with the Governor. We socialized with him. We knew him very well.”
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) February 5, 2019
How well did they really know him, though?
Anything in there about his nickname? https://t.co/Jby0gcsY09
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 5, 2019
Did they know him well enough to call him by his nickname?
— Dave Kartunen (@davekartunen) February 5, 2019
What nickname? Oh, you mean this one?
"That doesn't sound like Coonman at all." https://t.co/POq7d0Icid
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) February 5, 2019
Coonman would never do something like that!
— CatVader (@kilchis75) February 5, 2019
Heh.
*whispers and nudges (but he admitted putting black shoe polish on his face.)
— ??GA blue?? (@KY_native) February 5, 2019
Good to know; and the Michael Jackson shoe polish?
— Chris Bastian (@ChrisBastianBkl) February 5, 2019
Pffft. Just a little harmless fun!
"Ralph's blackface gags were tasteful and restrained, nothing like the amateur in the yearbook photo." https://t.co/ypJ5CKBHYa
— BT (@back_ttys) February 5, 2019
We should really cut the guy some slack.
Well, that oughta do it.
— JUDY FORNEY (@judyastahl) February 5, 2019