Obama electrifies Cuban exile group, long a GOP mainstay

[IndianaGreen]

There is a generational gap in the Cuban-American community, as it is in the Jewish community, and everywhere else. Younger Cuban-Americans are free of the paranoia and rigid thinking of their elders, and want normalized relations with Cuba.

Obama electrifies Cuban exile group, long a GOP mainstay

By Beth Reinhard, Alfonso Chardy and Casey Woods | Miami Herald

MIAMI — The prominent Cuban-American organization that Republican President Ronald Reagan once counted on to secure victory in Florida was electrified on Friday by an appearance by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

In a lunchtime speech to the Cuban American National Foundation, Obama offered a new Cuba policy approach to an audience accustomed to presidential candidates coming to show solidarity, but not to challenge the longstanding isolation of the island's communist government.

Obama touched on one of his more radical ideas: an often-criticized willingness to meet with Cuban leader Raul Castro.

"I know what the easy thing is to do for American politicians. . . . Every four years, they come down to Miami, they talk tough, they go back to Washington, and nothing changes in Cuba," said Obama, who was greeted by a standing ovation and scattered chanting of his campaign slogan "Yes We Can." "After eight years of the disastrous policies of George Bush, it is time, I believe, to pursue direct diplomacy, with friend and foe alike, without preconditions."

He repeated previous statements that if elected president, he would immediately lift the limits on Cuban Americans who want to travel to Cuba or send remittances to family on the island.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/38290.html

[QC]

1. This is disappointing.

People with relatives in Cuba would get to go there more often, but other Americans would still be banned from travel there.

And the embargo stays in place, despite O's support for lifting it when he was running for the Senate.

This is basically the Cuba policy of the past half-century dressed up with some warm and fuzzy rhetoric.

It's time to lift the embargo and allow unlimited travel to Cuba for all Americans.

[Divernan]

3. I agree it's time to lift the travel embargo, and I think Obama would do that

fairly quickly, but re-establishing full diplomatic relations/ties with a country cannot be accomplished overnight. It's like untying a series of old knots - requires some delicate work. But Obama is the one who can do it, and I think he has the will to do it.

[george_maniakes]

22. It has to be sep by step. The states offer something, cuba offers something.

Next thing you know, cuba is the next mexico.

[saltpoint]

2. I am very happy about and pleased with Barack Obama for this

address.

Our relationship with Cuba has been for many years a total disgrace, bordering on inhuman, and it is time that someone stepped into the attentions of Dade County folks and offered a change in that policy.

Let's watch the returns next November and see how Miami-Dade comes in. Jeb Bush will try to work some dark magic on this demographic and play the Fidel card, but with Obama standing up for common sense, clarity, and diplomatic relations, the fear-mongering will be barely audible.

I'm calling Florida for the blue team right now.

[QC]

4. What meaningful change in Cuba policy is he offering? n/t

[saltpoint]

5. I know -- I KNOW -- you don't think I skipped this news story.

You wouldn't be a Hillary Clinton supporter by any chance, would you?

On edit:

You can listen to Sen. Obama rather than read my posts. He speaks for himself very well.

http://video.ap.org/v/default.aspx?f=flmih&g=1ce78366-f751-49b9-998e-56b325e04a56&mk=en-ap&fg=svip_homepage_copy

[QC]

8. No, I'm not a Hillary supporter.

It's funny how so many of you guys assume that anyone who fails to speak worshipfully of Obama at all times must be in league with Satan's Handmaiden.

I voted for Edwards. I always vote for the Democratic nominee. And I think it is time to drop the embargo. That's the position that Obama himself held when he ran for the Senate. I still think it's a good one.

[saltpoint]

12. John Edwards is not a good man but a great man, no matter how

disrespectfully he was regarded by the Sunday news clowns, and I applaud your support of him. It takes a great leader to inspire others but as Whitman put it, in order for there to be great poets there ust first be great audiences. Works the same in politics, which means you are a great voter.

The Republican fear-mongering and manipulation of the Cuban-American community has disgusted me for some decades. If you have a buck or two to spare, maybe have a look at Joan Didion's brief but powerful book, MIAMI. It's kind of a bible for our household on Florida politics.

[QC]

14. Thanks--I will definitely look for that book!

The Miami situation is a disgrace and has been for decades--a group of angry old fascists dictating both U.S. foreign policy and practically every action of Florida's state government. Insane, and deadly.

[saltpoint]

17. Yes, and it insults you and me and the people we know for the simple

reason that you and I have no quarrel with any human in Cuba. The women hanging laundry in the island wind, the young kids playing baseball on sand and stringy grass. The older folks sitting in the evening shade in chairs their grandparents made.

We have no human quarrel with those people, and they none with us.

[IndianaGreen]

7. He will talk to Cuba, unlike Bush, McCain, and Clinton

LGBTs enjoy more freedoms in machismo dominated culture of Cuba than they do in US.

[QC]

9. Talk, talk, talk. How about providing them with some food and medicine

rather than just more talk?

[RichardRay]

11. That's what negotiations are - talk.

He's indicated what he can do on his own initiative; he can rescind executive orders and create new ones. I would like to see a complete reversal of U.S. policy towards Cuba, including dropping all travel restrictions for US citizens. Accomplishing that will require negotiation and he has stated that he will pursue those opportunities.

After Senator Obama is president let's see what Raoul and the gerontocracy has to suggest.

[QC]

15. I hope you are right. n/t

[DerekJ]

16. For the love of God, he's not the president yet, all he can do is state his policy (I.E.: TALK about

it) .. Do you have a problem with his policies (Talk)?!.

[QC]

21. And the policies he stated are pretty much what we have had since 1960.

If he had walked into a CANF get-together and made a case for lifting the embargo, I would be singing his praises right now, but this is very, very timid.

[MH1]

19. Ban Ki Moon talked with the leaders of Burma.

Now Burma is finally allowing foreign aid workers to help cyclone victims.

[crankychatter]

6. They're probably tired of being used and taken for granted too - nt

.

[Scurrilous]

10. K & R

:thumbsup:

[K Gardner]

13. Recommended !

[DFW]

18. I found it disappointingly timid

He'd keep the embargo intact and only allow relatives to travel there?
Hell, that's more restrictive than when I went down there. As it is, I
don't know who was following me around more, the CIA or the DGI. The
DGI even had their clowns come up to me and ask the time to check on
how good my Spanish was (the only time I ever got a compliment from
the DGI, I promise LOL!!).

But when I did (probably to their surprise--definitely to their chagrin)
take the Cuban government people up on their suggestion to take a walk by
myself around the old town to take in the sights, the few people who dared
to talk to me were happy to get the chance to talk to a Yanqui. The way
we will promote more dissent and more democracy there (assuming it is indeed
a goal) is to have as much contact as possible between ordinary folks. Since
the Cuban people don't, as a rule, have the money, we'll be the ones either going
down there, or sponsoring cultural/athletic events for them to come to us. That
won't happen if the only new contacts allowed are visits from relatives. That
may sound nice in a soundbyte, but it is only a small first step. We need to
be bolder in opening up from our end. Maybe this is all that can be done during
a campaign in hope of not pissing off the old guard of the Cuban-Americans in
Miami, but if any real progress is to be made, both in relations with the current
Cuban government as well as (hopefully) with their successors, bolder steps will
have to be taken.

[QC]

20. I agree.

I would have been genuinely impressed if Obama had walked into the lion's den and made a case for lifting the embargo, which is what he supported when he was a senate candidate.

This strikes me as pandering.

[AtomicKitten]

23. I have always loved Obama talking about easing relations with Cuba.

Our current Cuban policy is wicked retarded.

I'm glad Obama did well in Florida. Thanks for posting.

K&R

[tokenlib]

24. All he said was that he wouldn't lift the embargo immediately...

My take from his comments is that lifting the embargo would be the carrot on the stick in negotiations and talks with Cuba. I think Barack would work hard to remove barriers between the US and Cuba. I trust the embargo and travel restriction would be removed once a productive dialogue with Cuba took place.