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Romney Tackles His African-American Problem

Tara Wall hopes to help Mitt Romney attract Black voters.

The odds of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney peeling away enough African-American votes from President Obama to make a real difference are little to none. That doesn't mean he shouldn't give it the old college try, and in an effort to make a dent in the incumbent White House resident's most loyal base, Romney has hired strategist Tara Wall to oversee African-American outreach, The Washington Post reports.

Wall previously served as an advisor to the Republican National Committee and is a veteran of President George W. Bush's administration. According to the Post, she played a key role in helping Bush get re-elected and established a high-water mark in winning Black voters. Bush received 11 percent of the Black vote nationwide and 16 percent in Ohio.

Wall acknowledges that her task this time around won't be easy, with a Black president in the White House. Dozens of African-American residents in West Philadelphia protested Romney's visit a charter school in their community on Thursday. In addition, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll has found that Romney has just five percent of African-American support, compared to 92 percent for Obama.

"But we can't go in with the mindset that we aren't going to win any people over to our side," she said. "It's not a ploy, it's not a tactic, it's part of who we are. We have to show up."

The 13 percent African-American unemployment rate and Black businesses will be the focus of Romney's message, Wall added.

"The biggest factor is the economic situation that we, as in Black folks, find ourselves in. It's been horrendous," she said. "All we're asking is that people at least give Romney a listen."

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(Photo: Courtesy Princess Tara Productions)

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