This Politico article is worth a read. The piece attempts to discuss the president’s supposed dog whistles and winks to the black community in the same framework as conservative buzzwords, which are sent to activate the base.

Blacks, whites hear Obama differently:

On his pre-inaugural visit to Ben’s Chili Bowl, a landmark for Washington’s African-American community, President Barack Obama was asked by a cashier if he wanted his change back.

“Nah, we straight,” Obama replied.

The phrase was so subtle some listeners missed it. The reporter on pool duty quoted Obama as saying, “No, we’re straight.”

But many other listeners did not miss it. A video of the exchange became an Internet hit, and there was a clear moment of recognition among many blacks, who got a kick out of their Harvard-educated president sounding, as one commenter wrote on a hip-hop site, “mad cool.”

On matters of racial identity, many observers in the African-American community say he benefits from what’s known as “dog-whistle politics.” His language, mannerisms and symbols resonate deeply with his black supporters, even as the references largely sail over the heads of white audiences.

Sure enough, there have been moments of hip gestures by Obama during the campaign. But instead of trying to crack his “code switch,” perhaps there’s a considerable argument to be made that Obama is simply being black, pausing the 24-hour presidential talking points and genuinely “expressing his black culture in a natural way that resonates with other black folk.”