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.