Paranoia, Race Relations and the Election

As the saying goes, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you."

After watching Prof. John Jackson on C-SPAN this weekend, I am feeling a little, well, paranoid.

Jackson, author of "Race Paranoia," outlines a new paradigm in race relations.

He distinguishes race, racism and racial paranoia.

Race is a social construct; previously non-white groups have become white. In this new political landscape, race has been "pushed so below the surface that we think it no longer matters."

Jackson argues that straight-up racists have also been pushed out of sight:

Archie Bunker is dead. No one is a self-proclaimed racist. That's not the game you want to play. That's progress but it also means that we're living in a world where we have to talk about race when there are no explicit racists.

Jackson said racial paranoia is real. It is fueled by politically correct racial interaction, residential segregation and segregated social networks. "We are not privy to what's going on in other communities." He added:

Barack Obama has to walk an interesting tightrope between the candidate who doesn't want to talk about race and the candidate who's going to get the country to talk about race. His candidacy demonstrates that schizophrenia – putting out fires on one end and lighting them on the other end.

That racial schizophrenia is reflected in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll that found that nearly half of all white Americans say race relations are bad. Among African Americans, 60 percent say things are "not so good" or "poor." Three in 10 of white and black Americans admit feelings of racial prejudice.

ABC News' politically correct analysis of the polling data underscores Jackson's point that there is "no way to structure our conversation about race." The hoped-for dialogue about race has given way to an "index of racial sensitivity," which effectively classifies voters based on whether they have any black friends.

Voters were not asked about public policies that trigger racial animosity. Still, 31 percent of whites with "low racial sensitivity" think Obama would "do too much" for African Americans.

The bottom line: 21 percent of voters overall acknowledge the race of the candidate matters. That is roughly the same percentage of white Democratic primary voters who said they would rather drink muddy water than vote for Obama.

Our Lens Sept. 1

Hector Jackson (C), who impersonates the late US pop star Michael Jackson, gestures while he takes part in the "I do dance Thriller" event which attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest mass "Thriller" dance, in Mexico City, on August 29. Up to 15,000 people are expected to take part in a potentially record breaking mass performance of Michael Jackson's famed "Thriller" dance on the day he would have turned 51.

Omar Torres, AFP/ Getty Images

A long line of fire marches west towards the communities of Acton and Sunland-Tujanga on August 31 in Los Angeles, California. At least 18 homes were destroyed and 12,000 more homes and 500 commercial buildings are being threatened in the fire which already took two lives. The wildfire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon near a ranger station and the Angeles Crest Highway above La Canada Flintridge, has forced thousands of evacuations.

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

Venus Williams of the United States reaches for a shot against Vera Dushevina of Russia during day one of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, in Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

Chris McGrath, Getty Images

A Kenyan Muslim child reads verses from the Quran, Islam's holy book, on the fifth day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a Madrassa (Religion School), in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Aug. 26. Muslims throughout the world are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, where observants fast from dawn till dusk.

Sayyid Azim, AP

Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center on August 28, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Discovery is scheduled for a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Host Vanessa Williams performs with dancer Gilles Marini onstage at the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at The Orpheum Theatre on August 30, in Los Angeles, California.

Jesse Grant, WireImage

A girl plays with tomato pulp during the annual "Tomatina" tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26. Bunol's town hall estimated more than 40,000 people, some from as far away as Japan and Australia, took up arms Wednesday with 100 tons of tomatoes in the yearly food fight known as the 'Tomatina' now in its 64th year.

Alberto Saiz, AP

Tom Wainaina recounts the events that lead to his being burned over most of his upper body August 26 in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Wainaina was burned by a group of men during post-election violence in Kenya's disputed 2007 presidential election. Ethnic-tribal violence left over 1,000 people dead. The non-governmental organization (NGO) Concern, in cooperation with local Kenyan groups, has launched a campaign to provide the urban poor with cash grants to start a business or get back on their feet after suffering disproportionately from post-election violence in 2007. The money is transferred to the recipients via a mobile phone which insures a safe and simple financial transaction to customers who don?t have bank accounts. Wainaina is one of dozens of Kibera residents to receive the assistance of a cash grant. Hairdressers, grocery stores and food vendors are just some of the businesses that have been financed through the program.

Spencer Platt, Getty Images

People standing near the grave of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) look at the grave of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) at Arlington National Cemetery August 30, in Arlington, Virginia. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) was buried yesterday next to his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) after he died of brain cancer on August 25.

Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images

US President Barack Obama takes out his daughters Malia (R) and Sasha (2nd L) and niece Suhaila Ng (L) to shop in the Alleys general store on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on August 30, 2009.

Jewel Samad, AFP/ Getty Images

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