When people are uptight and worried about their jobs or financial situation, history has shown that demagogic leaders often seek political gain or media attention by using negative populist messages to shift the focus from the real source of our problems onto blacks, other people of color and immigrants, often leading to a demagogic mobilization of racism against these groups.

But President Obama very effectively used positive messages to bring racial and ethnic groups together, not divide them. As Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts pointed out, Obama is committed to being the president of all Americans, and he is very aware of efforts to place him in a narrow box. Such efforts included attacks by people such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King, who argued that Obama favored blacks at the expense of whites, as well as Tea Party rallies where people held signs that Obama was against white people.

I believe that these kinds of attacks failed to gain any traction because of Obama's careful public statements about addressing the concerns of all Americans. Even when Obama talked publicly about the Trayvon Martin killing, his statement was careful not to inflame racial tensions but, rather, to appeal to Americans' consciences on the need to do some "soul-searching" and investigate every facet of this tragedy.

This is typical of the president's efforts to unite, not divide, the county. And this approach was clearly evident in the memorable words of his second-inauguration speech: "We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other -- through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security -- these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great."

I personally believe that such unifying messages are particularly effective during this period of high social anxiety as the nation struggles to recover from one of the worst economic crises in our history. In terms of racial and ethnic relations, Barack Obama is the right president during these hard economic times because social tensions are indeed high.

William Julius Wilson is the Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor at Harvard University.

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