What's the problem with Virginia?

Seems like a new book is needed to balance "What's the problem with Kansas?"

It is pretty clear, here in the US and in most OECD countries, we all are suffering from the worst political class ever. The Mandarin Class are rootless in their disdain and ineffectiveness. Citizens in developed nations everywhere are rising up in protest of the arrogant ignorance which is causing so much misery and divisiveness.

OECD Mandarin Class; US Mandarin Class - moral reprobates needing a substantial upgrade in intelligence, effectiveness and respect for their fellow citizens. But, it seems, the Virginia Mandarin Class, or, at least, the Democratic portion, is setting a new and astonishing bar.

Governor (D) - In the middle of a scandal around Med School pictures of him in blackface or with people in black face at a party some thirty years ago.

Lieutenant Governor (D) - (First in line of succession, should the Governor resign.) Facing two public allegations of sexual assault/rape.

State Attorney General (D) - (Next in line of succession should the others resign). Also in the middle of a scandal around his participation in blackface at a party some thirty years ago.

Speaker of the House of Delegates (R) - (Next in line of succession should the others resign). No scandals so far. However, given that he is a Republican and the top three are Democrats, I am confident that there is a lot of hard research going on.

Senate Majority Leader (R) - Not in the line of succession. He was apparently 1968 VMI yearbook editor; a yearbook that included derogatory racial terms and photos of students in black face. To be clear, so far there is no accusation of his participation in such parties, just editing the yearbook in which those parties were documented.

Good lord. I grew up in Sweden in the early 1970s. The only movies they could afford for the two government stations were ancient B&W movies from the teens through the thirties. Consequently, I was familiar with blackface from Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer and probably a couple of others.

Never saw blackface at high school parties in New Jersey in the late seventies. Never saw it at college parties in the early eighties. Now granted - I am not a huge party animal so the sample size is small. Still - there was no awareness of it even existing.

But Virginia? Wow. It appears to have remained a staple from the twenties into, at least, the early eighties.

Following threads on twitter - it seemed that this was not a national phenomenon but very localized. I would guess that there might be another state or two out there where this might have been common into the modern era. Of course all the ignorant voices are out baying to their particular ideological prejudices. I heard one commentator on NPR characterize it as "School annuals are chockablock full of blackface." What dramatic cognitive pollution. Because of my interest in history and in genealogy, I have looked at hundreds of yearbook annuals over the years and I don't recall ever seeing blackface.

Of course the ineffable Iowa Hawk says it all:

jfc am I the only white person who didn't participate in the wacky 1980s minstrel show fadhttps://t.co/SFRRtAJb4v

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) February 7, 2019

Is it just Virginia? Probably not just Virginia, but I do suspect that this is highly localized in just a few areas. And maybe primarily in Virginia.

I do know a story that is very recent that reflects a certain sustained Virginia parochialism. Prestigious university in Virginia. They have a prestigious agriculture related program. Most members are from rural/agricultural Virginia and therefore primarily white. The "Agriculture" Club has been in some minor bad graces with the administration and are trying to find a way to demonstrate their good citizen bona fides. MLK Day approaches. As does inspiration. "We'll throw an MLK party where everyone comes as their favorite black athlete or historical figure!" The discussion shifts from the great idea, to which athletes and what clothes and how to make sure that the famous people were recognized, which necessarily involved someone coming up with "we could use shoe polish."

It took someone from a big city to point out that this fine gesture of cultural appreciation might be seen in a different light, particularly if it involved blackface.

So just Virginia? Probably not, but perhaps especially Virginia. And just Democrats? Also, probably not, but again, possibly, especially Democrats.

I suppose one hypothesis of the frequency of politicians and embarrassing high school or college pictures might be that the role of a retail politician is best filled by someone with a hunger for social interaction and approval. So perhaps it is mostly a Virginia politician thing and not reflective of the whole state.

Of course, all of this is within a ridiculous context. Nobody should resign over socially embarrassing (but legal) actions from one's youth and early adulthood. We all say and do stupid things with great verve and frequency. One hopes for development over time. We judge the person as they are now and do not hold everyone hostage to their worst possible moments of youth. We believe in the wonderful grace of redemption.

Further, nobody should resign over mere accusations of past crime, especially the further back in time one goes. This one is a little more fine-grained. How recent, how much evidence, how consistent is the evidence - all these things create a gradation. Thirty year ago accusations with no corroboration - Just keep going. A video from yesterday on a crime committed this week with witnesses? Yep, pack your bags.

The clarion cry of "Believe x" is an absurdity. Everyone becomes hostage to even the most delusional or devious accusation. Innocent till proven guilty and Due Process should be the watchwords.

Still, having been the butt of the ideological absurdity of "Believe the . . . " it is understandable that there might be a good volume of Republican schadenfreude as Saul Alinsky's Rule Number 4 is turned against their political opponents.