Okay, it's been a while since I posted so I've got a bit to say. Although I just watched Hillary's non-concession speech, and I'm a supporter of hers, I think realists know her campaign is over. As much as that saddens a lot of people, it's time to rally around Barack. That said, he has a big challenge awaiting—One I think he can win. It would help him, however, if the media did its job and stopped reporting John McCain's lies as if they are true.

The media has shown time and time again how stupid it is during this election cycle. I'm sure anyone reading this can come up with their own examples. I'll just provide one. Does anyone remember what the media declared a year ago "will" be the big issue in 2008 (not "might be" or "one" of the big issues, but "the" big issue)? The war? No. The economy? Nah, things seemed good back then. "Gay Marriage?"—that's soooo 2004. No, it was immigration. Except, oppse! John McCain is to the left of most Democrats on that issue. It's a complete non-starter for the GOP with McCain as the nominee. (Nice guess media! Try again! (it's the Economy Stupid)). Yet, I've seen no one in the media admit that they reported a wrong story for about a year. Oh well, right? But it gets worse.

I'm calling bullshit on the media for something they've been saying lately, including at least three times in the past couple of weeks in the New York Times, even yesterday. The Story: John McCain has been seriously auditioning VP candidates at his Arizona ranch and one of them is a gay man and another is not Caucasion. Now, I suppose there's a slight chance the straight white man he "interviewed," Mitt Romney, will be his running mate; I sincerely doubt it, but he was a legitimate presidential candidate, so it's okay for the media to believe that he's in real contention. However, the idea that he'll pick a closeted homosexual or a very young governor whose parents were born in India, is just ludicrous and I declare: SHAME ON YOU to any media outlet reporting it like they are genuine possibilities. Stop reporting McCain's lies being fed to you and start reporting the truth (you can start with like how he gets facts about his beloved war wrong on a regular basis).

Yesterday's Times profiles Louisiana Governor since last year, 36 y.o. Bobby (not his real name) Jindal as a possible McCain running mate, which they've mentioned at least twice before; I'll get to him in a minute. The easy one first: Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, is gay. He's not Tom Cruise gay (probably gay), John Travolta gay (used to be seen in West Hollywood bars picking up men and was photographed last year kissing one), or even Larry "wide stance" Craig gay. He's Jim "everyone in New Jersey and most of the Tri-State Area (except my wife) knew it before I came out to cover up a political scandal" McGreevy gay. Seriously, many many people knew McGreevy was gay, including me, well before he outed himself as a "gay American." The same is true of Charlie. Many many many Floridians, and people who follow politics, like me, know he's a big old 'mo. (Google him if you don't believe me). Yet, the media keeps talking about him like he's a real contender. I know John McCain really needs Florida to win the presidency, but he doesn't need it badly enough to tap "confirmed bachelor" Charlie Crist as his running mate. The man has baggage, and let me tell you, it ain't Samsonite, it's matching Louis Vuitton. This man has "sex scandal" written all over him, and McCain wouldn't dare having this type of exposure. But the media keeps saying it like it's possible. It's not.

Now we move to LA governor Piyush "Bobby" Jindal. Let's face it: John McCain's biggest hope right now is that this country is too racist to elect a black man named "Barack Obama" president. I've been told by several people who plan to vote for Barack that he can't win, because this country is too racist to elect a black man to our highest office. I, personally, think he can and will win, but that's another column.

My brother is a 35, a bartender/writer/musician who lives in Brooklyn; like me he's Irish and Puerto Rican, but the white genes dominate our looks. Although we're pretty close, we could not be more different. I'm a lawyer, own my own apartment, am in a committed relationship with another man; he does not have a college education, he's perpetually single but has "good luck with the ladies," drinks a lot more than I do, but he's probably better read than I am (and knows a million times more about music). He's very "blue collar Brooklyn" if that means anything to you, yet despite the accent he's oddly intellectual. He's worked in a bar for several years with an incredibly diverse crowd from all ages, races and economic backgrounds. He is convinced, singularly and unwaveringly that this country will not put a black man in the oval office. He will vote for him, but claims "America" will not. He knows this because he talks to a lot of people who I would never come across.

My brother is not the only person to tell me this. A friend told me he visited his retired Jewish father in Florida and several people in his father's retirement community, educated, middle-class Democratic leaning Jews, believe Barack is either a Muslim or some kind of "sleeper" terrorist. They will vote for McCain.

This bring us back to McCain. Of course he would never admit it, but McCain must be counting on America being too racist to vote for Barack Obama. I'm not saying he's a racist (although it wouldn't surprise me), I'm saying that his campaign has to be hoping my brother is right about Americans. So why would he even consider putting someone non-Caucasion on his ticket with as unusual a name as the Democratic nominee has?

I mean seriously New York Times and other media actually printing this garbage that Charlie or "Bobby" could be the VP nominee. These are the Republicans we're talking about! Not the Democrats. The Democrats have made some AWFUL choices over the years (Leiberman and Ferraro spring to mind) but the Republicans? The worst they've done in my lifetime is pick someone non-descript, like Dan Quayle.

One might ask what's the media to do? Three people went to the ranch to talk to McCain. Crist, Jindal and Romney. The campaign clearly planted the "interviewing VPs" story to stoke speculation. How about don't report it, because you know it's not true? Speculate that Crist was there to talk about helping win Florida and that he met with a "new leader" of the party, Jindal; self-avowed Veep hopeful Romney also was there. But just because the campaign says something is true, doesn't mean it is (like how McCain recently said we were down to pre-surge troop levels, when we aren't). If they have to print it, how about writing: "one questions if Christ, who is unmarried, would be acceptable to the conservative 'family values' GOP base?"

In sum, anyone buying McCain's bullshit that he's really considering either of these guys is not playing with a full deck, in fact, I'd guess it's missing a lot of cards. The media should stop giving John McCain this pathetic free media on these false stories he's planting and concentrate on his actual politics, which are awful. Let me give you a topic: A huge number of Americans believe John McCain is either Pro-Choice or "not that serious" about being Pro-Life. The fact is that he's for over-turning Roe v. Wade, and has a nearly if not totally perfect Anti-Abortion record. Even the majority of Republican woman are pro-choice! Americans deserve to know this. That's a real story, how about reporting that, instead of pretending the Republicans are progressive enough to put a faggot or Indian on the ticket?