Could Barack Hurt Race Relations?

Could it be that the candidacy of Barack Obama, rather than carrying us into a new, post-racial era, is instead turning the clock back, exacerbating wounds that have been festering out of sight? Perhaps unconscious fault lines are being stepped on by Barack, and a campaign marked by tension and strife is ahead:

Police are mobilizing a massive presence in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in the wake of increased tension between African American and Jewish communities.

Just because blacks and Jews are largely democrats doesn't mean the communities get along:

Since 1991, when riots broke out after a 7-year-old black boy was killed by a Hassidic driver, Crown Heights has been hurt off-and-on by periodic tension. In the past month, 20-year-old Andrew Charles, who is black, was beaten up, and the suspect is Jewish.

A reminder of tensions between the communities is not what Barack needs as he tries to convince Jewish voters that they should feel comfortable with his attitude toward Israel, or for mainstream voters starting to perceive him as a big bag of trouble coming down the road.