I'm Not Sure What to Make of This

From this week's Time:

Through the challenges, the President has kept his human touch. Touring New Orleans last week, he met a man who had survived for days on canned goods before being evacuated to Utah. "Were you the only black man in Salt Lake City?" Bush asked.

Could be funny; could be tasteless and offensive. I guess it depends on the context. At any rate, the quote, "Were you the only black man in Salt Lake City?" got my attention.