Northam says he “was born in white privilege”

RUSH: Ralph Northam of Virginia says that he ain’t no way quitting, he ain’t no way gonna resign. The embattled Virginia governor said that he is not resigning because Virginia needs a doctor. That was during a Sunday interview on CBS Slay the Nation. Governor Northam has been facing pressure to quit since the photograph of someone in blackface and someone in a Ku Klux Klan hood was found on his medical school yearbook.

Gayle King, the BFF of The Oprah, was doing the questioning here. “Why do you think you still deserve this job when so many people are calling for you to step down?” And Governor Northam said, “Well, again we’ve worked very hard. We had a good first year. I’m a leader. I’ve been in some very difficult situations, life and death situations, taking care of sick kids.”

The correct question would be, “Did the kids survive?” But she didn’t say that. She said, “Oh. Because you’re a doctor?”

“Right now, Virginia needs someone that can heal. There’s no better person to do that than a doctor.” Okay. So here’s Governor Northam with Gayle King. We actually have three sound bites here. She says, “I know this has been a very difficult week for you.” It’s so bad, we at CBS are really empathetic. We know it’s so bad. We’ve been trying to help by throwing that abortionist stuff off the page. But where would you like to begin in our interview here that’s built to basically help you rehab yourself?

NORTHAM: If you look at Virginia’s history, we’re now at the 400-year anniversary. Just 90 miles from here, in 1619, the first indentured servants from Africa landed on our shores in old Point Comfort, what we call now —

RUSH: Stop the tape. The guy sounds like he’s celebrating something they’re all happy about. Yeah, Gayle, 400 years ago the first slaves arrived here, just 90 miles from here. It’s a great anniversary we’re all celebrating here in Virginia. What in the name of Sam Hill? Who thinks this way?

KING: Also known as slavery.

NORTHAM: Yes.

KING: Yeah. Yeah.

NORTHAM: And, you know, while we have made a lot of progress in Virginia, slavery has ended, schools have been desegregated, we have ended the Jim Crow laws, easier access to voting, it is abundantly clear that we still have a lot of work to do.

Gayle King: “What have you learned that you didn’t know before?”

NORTHAM: I was born in white privilege and that has implications to it. And it is much different the way a white person, such as myself, is treated in this country.

KING: Did you not know that you were born into white privilege?

NORTHAM: I knew I was, Ms. King, but I didn’t realize really the powerful implications of that. I’ve also learned why the use of blackface is so offensive.

RUSH: Give me a break. This guy is trying to make it sound like he just got out of a sensitivity class and he just now learned, Ralph Northam just learned that he was born in white privilege. I’ll guarantee you seven days ago Ralph Northam wasn’t even thinking in terms of white privilege, didn’t think he was a part of it, didn’t have any idea. But now Ralph Northam is copping to it. And not only is he copping to white privilege, he has learned why blackface is so offensive.

“Did you not know you were born into white privilege?”

“I knew I was, Ms. King, but I didn’t realize really the powerful implications.” Come on. You’re a southern Democrat. It was you people that turned the dogs and the fire hoses on the protesters at Selma. It was you people that blocked the university doors in Alabama and Mississippi. All those southern segregationists were Democrats. “I didn’t realize the powerful implications of my white privilege.” Feel like I’m listening to Frank Underwood, House of Cards here. And she then says, “Why do you think you still deserve this job when so many people are calling for you to step down?”

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