CNN's Acosta to Romney: 'If You Somehow Beat Obama,' How Would You 'Assure Blacks You'd Be Their President Also?'

CNN's Jim Acosta on Tuesday's Situation Room asked what many will think was a truly offensive question.

"If you were to somehow beat the first African-American president, what would you say to the black community to assure them that you would be their president also?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

JIM ACOSTA, CNN: African-Americans have a tremendous sense of pride that there is the first African-American president in the White House. If you were to somehow beat the first African-American president, what would you say to the black community to assure them that you would be their president also?

The first thing that should grab your eye is the word "somehow."

Somehow?

The economy stinks, the right-track/wrong-track numbers are upside-down, and the polls show a very tight race.

As such, how does Acosta think Romney winning is a long shot?

But even more offensive was asking how the Republican presidential nominee would "assure" blacks he's "their president also."

Did Romney only represent whites when he was governor of Massachusetts? Does Obama currently only represent blacks?

Fortunately, Romney answered the question with aplomb:

MITT ROMNEY: I want to be the president of all the people of America. I want to help all the people of America. You don't get into a race like this with myself and my family and do the kind of work and commitment that we've put forward without the passion to help all of America. And the people who really need the help right now are the people in the middle class, people who have fallen into poverty. I know how to get them help. The president doesn't.

Indeed.

As for Acosta, he should be ashamed of himself.

(HT Dan Gainor)