It's hard not to sympathize with everyone involved in the dust-up in Cambridge: Professor Gates, Officer Crowley, and President Obama. Gates was challenged in his own home, Crowley was a good cop trying to do his job while being yelled at (apparently), and Obama was giving his honest and sensible opinion. I think it’s impossible—at a distance—to say one was right and one was wrong..
The President has an uncanny knack for turning problems into opportunities—reminds me of the Jeremiah Wright blow-ups, and there were some examples in his books. Maybe this will really be a teachable moment. I think a beer at the White House is the best option.