MSNBC - Obama makes the hardliners in Cuba nervous - editorial in local

[Pirate Smile]

press warned that Obama's policy to open travel to Cuba could actually "backfire" on the Cuban govt. by "ideologically corrupting Cuban society" (I believe that is Obama's plan :))

Letting in too many people with what the Cuban government considers "undesirable views".

David Shuster was just speaking to a reporter in Cuba who relayed this report.

Ha ha - I love it.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Obama supports the economic embargo though. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Not a contradictory position.

Opening up travel = good will from Cuban Americans.

Ending the embargo = pissing off the Cuban American hardliners.

The embargo doesn't do nearly as much damage as the repukes like to think, as it is targeted at US custom - you can buy Havana cigars just about anywhere BUT the US.

I suspect that once he's been elected he would be open to be 'convinced' to drop the embargo as well. Particularly if Castro's kicked off by then.

[Vogon_Glory]

5. Opening Up Travel Equals Good Will From A LOT of the Electorate

Ending the Cold War-vintage US travel restrictions for Americans and resident aliens wishing to visit Cuba would make for a LOT of good will across the political spectrum, and NOT just in the Cuban exile community. I'd say that there are a lot of people who have resented the travel restrictions, and who have resented them for years--not just the modest demographic of Castro sympathizers and "sandalista" revolution groupies, but much larger demographics of bohemian tourists, yachters, antiquarians, divers, and people who just want to hang out on the beaches before they get hoteled and condo'ed and turn into carbon copies of Ixtapa, Cancun, and Nassau. We're p-o'd about the travel restrictions and want to see them GONE.

The only reason the travel restrictions have lasted as long as they have is because the travel restrictions are not the major issues most of the electorate uses to decide how to vote. However, for Cuban exile hard-liners, bashing Fidel has been their overwhelming issue and the Reagan and Buckaroo Bush administrations have seen fit to cater to this important segment of the Florida Republican coalition. I suspect that most Democrats have noted that the hard-liners have permanently aligned themselves with the Republican Party, and that even in Florida the Republicans are weaker than they've been in years.

2009 might finally be the year where the travel restrictions bite the dust and Obama wins himself some points in some surprising places.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. My thoughts exactly. nt

[ieoeja]

2. Sort of like opening up a Pizza Hut in Red Square?

You know, the thing Ronald Reagan tried to STOP.

Republicans do not seem to realize WHY they are even fighting the wars they want. They seem to have become pro-war for the sake of war itself.

[Pirate Smile]

4. kick

[anonymous171]

6. Isn't that the plan? Kind of like with China?

Kill them with kindness. Anyway, I thought Cuban hardliners wanted some kind of war to force Castro out, which would do a lot more than just "ideologically corrupt" the country.