Republicans in Florida ignoring the new majority - less Cuban and Republican [View all]

[flamingdem]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/opinion/schultz-commentary-republicans-in-florida-ignoring/nS3C2/

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President Obama won 60 percent of the Latino vote in Florida. The big news, though, is that Mr. Obama won the Cuban-American vote in Florida. No Democrat had done that.

For decades, the “Hispanic vote” in Florida was hard-line Cuban-Americans in and around Miami, who were solidly Republican. Candidates would eat the obligatory lunch at Versailles Restaurant, make the obligatory stop at domino tables on Calle Ocho and issue the obligatory denunciation of Fidel Castro.

These days, though, more and more Cuban-Americans also are clustered in the Tampa area. Younger, separated from the daily indoctrination by Spanish-language radio in Miami, their issue is not Fidel Castro. They liked it that President Obama made it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit families on the island. Many not only would like all travel restrictions lifted but would like the United States to end the half-century-old Cuba trade embargo. Tampa International Airport expects $650,000 in new revenue this year from Cuba traffic.

Meanwhile, Republicans in the Legislature passed a bill designed to hurt companies that operate in Florida and do business with Cuba.

The overall Latino vote in Florida also is less Cuban. Puerto Ricans, most of whom are Democrats, have flocked to the Orlando area. Osceola County, home to Disney World, is 45.5 percent Hispanic, and it gave President Obama 8,000 more votes than in 2008. (Mr. Obama got 38,000 fewer votes this year in Palm Beach County.) A rising star is new state Sen. Darren Soto, who is Puerto Rican-Italian. In rural North Florida, a Republican stronghold, only one county is at least 10 percent Hispanic.