Of all the cynical actions taken by Gov. Ralph Northam in the past year - changing his blackface story several times, politicizing the massacre in Virginia Beach - perhaps the most dangerous was his attempt to conflate Second Amendment supporters with the white supremacists who rampaged through Charlottesville in 2017. All while ginning up fear around Lobby Day in Richmond.

Despite Northam’s best efforts and his over-reach in declaring an unnecessary four-day state of emergency, it didn’t work.

No doubt Northam joined members of the mainstream media, who’d been salivating over the prospect of rednecks running wild in Richmond, in biting back their disappointment as the uneventful day drew to a close.

Unfortunately, the press was left with nothing to write but that a rally on a frigid day went off as it does every year. Without incident. If there were more participants than usual that’s because candidates bankrolled by anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg were voted into office and immediately began going after law-abiding gun owners rather than heaping penalties on criminals who use firearms.

Oh, and those suspicious about the rally being held on the Martin Luther King holiday should know this is an annual event for an assortment of special interest groups.

“For years, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, which falls early in the legislative session, has been a day for ordinary Virginians and advocacy groups to talk with state legislators about issues that concern them, in a tradition known as ‘Lobby Day,’ “ explained The New York Times.

This year, gun rights groups made big plans after control of the state legislature flipped from Republican to Democratic in November.

As you surely know by now, at least 22,000 Second Amendment supporters converged on the Capitol yesterday. They protested without a hint of violence or civil disobedience. They came, they sang the National Anthem, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, listened to speakers, waved their signs and went home.

Oh, and before the protesters left, they opened black garbage bags and collected litter. 

The streets of Richmond were probably cleaner than they were before the rally.

Adding to Northam’s audacity, the governor issued a statement late in the day taking credit for the peaceful gathering:

“We are all thankful that today passed without incident. The teams successfully de-escalated what could have been a volatile situation. This resulted from weeks of planning and extensive cooperation among state, local, and federal partners in Virginia and beyond.”

Sorry, governor. You de-escalated nothing since there was nothing to de-escalate. These were ordinary Virginians asking the General Assembly to respect the U.S. Constitution. The fact that thousands of law-abiding citizens brought their guns to the capital likely made it the safest acreage in the commonwealth for a few hours.

The arrest of several hairballs last week who allegedly “talked about going to Richmond” to stir up trouble was hardly reason for the governor and his henchmen to run around with their hair on fire.

As Monday wore on it became clear that members of the media - who seemed to be itching for trouble and who were telling each other to “be safe” as if they were war correspondents - would have to write upbeat pieces instead of sneering stories about hate-filled hillbillies.

Yet my former newspaper, The Virginian-Pilot, couldn’t resist bringing race into a rally about guns, with a front-page story that began this way:

“Thousands of mostly white men — many decked out in camouflage and armed with assault-style rifles — packed Richmond’s streets Monday, circling the gun-free Capitol Square, where thousands more waved signs and listened to speeches, all wanting to make one point: They weren’t going anywhere, and their gun rights shouldn’t either.”

My, how things have changed. There was a time when reporters were told they were never to include racial descriptions unless they were germane to the story. If they were describing a suspect, for instance. 

Gratuitous mentions of race were considered inflammatory and unprofessional.

What possible reason could a newspaper have for including the race of protesters in the first five words of the story?

Guesses?