VA State Senator Blames Racism for Romney Gains

State Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), a campaign surrogate for President Obama in Virginia, said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is appealing to racists who do not want a black man in the White House.

Asked on a Hampton Roads radio show why the former Massachusetts governor had been able to pull even with President Obama in a recent poll, Lucas said the problem was race.

“Mitt Romney, he’s speaking to . . . a segment of the population who does not like to see people other than a white man in the White House or in any other elective position,” Lucas said Tuesday. “Let’s be real clear about it — Mitt Romney is speaking to a group of people out there who don’t like folks like President Barack Obama in any elective or leadership position. We know what’s going on here. And some people may be afraid to say it, but I’m not. . . .   He’s speaking to that fringe out there who do not want to see anybody but a white person in a leadership position.”

Lucas is a member of Obama’s “Truth Team,” speaking on the president’s behalf on various campaign issues in Virginia. {snip}

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“Do you really believe now that this is still about race?” Fredericks asked.

“I absolutely believe it’s all about race, and for the first time in my life I’ve been able to convince my children, finally, that racism is alive and well,” she replied.

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