not be tolerated, especially from our leaders, democrat or republican. northam must resign. cory booker seems to be prepared to spend a lot of time in the state. let s talk about what this race is going to look like in south carolina. obviously you have to win, place or show to come out of south carolina with at least something, some kind of momentum. is there a candidate in particular that s got an early sort of good read on the electorate? well, i can tell you the actions i ve seen so far in south carolina, joy. one, senator harris and senator booker have been spending a lot of time down there. they are talking to a lot of staffers or potential staffers, and with a lot of the community leaders in south carolina. but, you, this is also a state with strong ties to vice president joe biden. i also have seen a lot of action lately from senator warren.
the virginia legislative black caucus issued a statement condemning the photo without recommending what the governor should do. quote, we are still processing what we have seen about the governor but unequivocally say that what has been revealed is disgusting, reprehensible and offensive. we feel complete betrayal. the legacy of slavery, racism and jim crow has been an albatross around the necks of african-americans for over 400 years. these pictures rip off the scabs of an excruciately painful history and are a reminder of this nation s sins. the democratic leader in the virginia state senate expressed support for governor northam tonight, saying in part that while the photo is, quote, very poor taste, i would think no one in the general assembly who would like their college conduct examined. i would hate to have to go back and examine my two years in the army. trust me, i was 18 years old and i was a handful, okay?
this is not in many ways this isn t about politics, it s about what we saw these pictures with ralph northam when he was 25 years old in 1984 is incredibly disturbing, it s shameful, it s horrific, because one of the things i really agree with with the virginia legislative black caucus, the statement they put out, is that it is a scab, it is a reminder of the racism, the slavery, jim crow, this country s original sin, and that s why ralph northam cannot make it through the weekend. i do not believe that is going to happen. and let s not forget, one of the constituencies that got him into office in november 2017 was the high turnout with black voters. can you imagine the betrayal that you possibly may feel as a virginia voter, black voter who went out in november 2017 to vote for him? so i just don t see it. i don t see how he can last. not only that, it s just what s right and what s wrong.
that brings us to the democrat who would take over if governor northam did resign. that would be virginia s lieutenant governor justin fairfax. it would be lieutenant governor justin fairfax to serve out his term and eligible to run for a full term in 2021. it should be noted there have just been two african-american governors in the history of the united states. justin fairfax would become the third. that fact and the potential history to be made cannot be helpful to northam s bid to hang on. this story is developing quickly tonight as reactions continue pouring in. the naacp has joined in the call for governor northam to resign. republican senator tim scott of south carolina condemned the photo and said the people of virginia will make their voices heard. meanwhile, amid the calls for northam s resignation over a photo in his medical school yearbook, since the governor apologized the first time in
but i accept responsibility for my past actions and i am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust. i have spent the past year as your governor fighting for a virginia that works better for all people. i am committed to continuing that fight through the remainder of my term and living up to the expectations you set for me when you elected me to serve. thank you. that s the virginia governor tonight. he amended his earlier printed statement for that extraordinary statement you just saw on video, saying clearly there he does intend to serve out his term, so apparently he does not intend to step down. governor northam released that video amid growing calls for his resignation and questions whether this governorship can survive. shortly after the news broke, the republican party in virginia called for the governor to resign. unforgiveable given his statements on the right to life coupled with the most recent