Suppose Crowley left without getting ID from Gates and it just so happened that there had been a break in and Gates was tied up in the back room with a gun to his head while another man was impersonating him at the front door? Would Crowley be accused of not protecting black citizens equally?

Obama’s immediately characterized Officer Crowley as racist - although he never articulated this directly when he was asked the question he started in on a speech about racial profiling, so he immediately assumed white police officer arrests a black man = racial bias. In fact Gate’s assumption that Crowley was a racist is proof enough.

Oh lord, I hope Crowley has good sense not to order a pale ale, but gets a black and tan instead.