With Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam facing many calls to resign after admitting that he was one of the people pictured in a 1984 medical school yearbook wearing blackface and Ku Klux Klan robes. With that, some in the media, including Ken Vogel of the NY Times and Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post, are asking questions about why that wasn’t discovered earlier… by Northam’s Republican opponent in the last election — or WAS it?

Several astute readers have suggested Gillespie's campaign may have known of this but chose not to use it, fearing it would muddy the distinctions they were trying to draw — Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 1, 2019

The spin seems to be “why DIDN’T Gillespie pounce?”

If this checks out, it reflects really poorly on RALPH NORTHAM, first & foremost, but also doesn't reflect very well on the oppo researchers employed by his rivals, who failed to unearth it during the campaign. https://t.co/uNj1YdOZ9G — Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) February 1, 2019

And, yes, it doesn't necessarily reflect well on the media that covered the race either, since — for better or for worse — yearbook reviewing has become de rigueur in political journalism. *Though to be fair to the media & oppo folks: I didn't even know med schools had yearbooks — Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) February 1, 2019

Hmm…

Conservatives should have pounced earlier is an epic take https://t.co/RRFdTCzAvd — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) February 1, 2019

Run with that, MSM!

"It doesn't reflect very well on the oppo researchers" who didn't unearth information about a candidate running for public office, said the journalist. https://t.co/XgweU1At3S — Omri Ceren (@omriceren) February 2, 2019

I will hazard a guess, as was done with Obama's picture with Louis Farrakhan, someone in the media suppressed this pic for political reasons. https://t.co/Z7IfUDQFRl — Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 1, 2019

Nobody who would suggest or repeat such an insane thing is astute. But hey, gotta use a Democrat in blackface or a Klan hood to attack a Republican somehow! https://t.co/oquOjlmklV — Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) February 1, 2019

When you think about it, this is really Gillespie's fault. — Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) February 1, 2019

Maybe the real question journo types should ask themselves is why the brave, firefighting seekers of truth and facts in the media didn’t find the pictures:

Political reporters never leave DC they sit on slack waiting to get pitched stories. https://t.co/iwjbnSVgNf — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) February 1, 2019

Some random blogger found the pictures of Northam. Good job, journalists! pic.twitter.com/PGmMwxIbnm — Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) February 1, 2019

Sarcastic round of applause!