The point was to postpone the race riots until after the 2012 elections.
That was the second item on the agenda list. The first was to create outrage in the black community (especially in Florida). By personalizing the case with the "If I had a son..." comment (a more calculated statement than many realize), Obama energized the black vote where he needed it most.
Let no crisis go to waste, right? Well, Team Zero (which includes Sharpton, Jackson, Crump, et al) couldn't wait for one to come along, so they turned a non-crisis into a Category 5 shitstorm. Landfall is predicted for sometime in the next several days. Damage could be widespread.