This is why Obama can't get motionally get mad at BP.
He can't do it, he can't get fired up and yell at people or belittle them publicly, or even privately (because it'll leak out).
The RNC/FNC complex will blow into that dog whistle of racism so loud that all of America. Unfortunately a lot of old white people had racism instilled in them. It's no longer racism of the mind, but of the heart. Most whites are good meaning people and not outright racists except Pat Buchanan, and the stormfront/freerepublic/red state axis of right wing knuckle-dragging.
Independents and some conservadems will hear the whistle and react at a less conscious level, using some hypocritical reason as an excuse for turning on him, and Obama will be finished politically.
He cannot be painted as an angry black man. That's why he's so dedicated to the calm/cool personality. It might be a flaw politically at some moments in time. But in the long run, it will be effective at getting him re-elected.
I'm positive that's why he never gets emotionally angry and lets it show. That's how much self control he has. It's impressive.