If you play the heel well, you should be able to turn into a face in short time. I would say that he is not smart, because he should have called out Nick Diaz or GSP before he ever faced Lawler. You have to set the fight up, and have faith in yourself that you would win the championship.
I think I speak for most of his non-fans, when I say: The race remarks are not the issue. My problem was that he wanted a money fight right away, and all the whining that came with it. If he would have been proactive, set the tone, and then kept his mouth shut, there would be a lot less hate. IMO