“This is about morals,” said Steven Drahozal, the chair of the Dubuque County Democrats in Iowa. He said voters in Iowa, the key early primary state, will actually appreciate a candidate who recognizes and acknowledges previous shortcomings. But he said Democratic candidates need to be acutely sensitive to those who in the past have been left behind. (Mr. Northam began with an apology but pivoted to a new defense when he triggered a crush of calls for him to resign.) Political strategists and crisis communication experts said the sensitivity speaks to how quickly the center of gravity has shifted for Democrats on key issues.

Source: New York Times February 03, 2019 15:11 UTC