Miami Herald: Cuban Republican Leaders Give Dubya 'F' on Cuba Policy

[GBD4]

More than 400,000 Cubans populate the state of Florida, with most concentrated in Dade County, where three Cuban Republicans represent the area in Congress. However, Cubans are NOT pleased with Dubya!

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/6379437.htm

(Side note: Bob Graham won more than 70% of the Cuban vote in his last election :) )

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. OOOPS

Jebby will have to work extra hard to steal Florida now!

[Mika]

2. The majority of Cuban-Americans in Miami are Dems

Most Americans are not aware of this because the Miamicuban "exile" extremists have usurped the voice of the majority of Cuban-Americans






CANF founder and Clinton fundraiser Jorge Mas Canosa & Bill Clinton

[Brian Sweat]

3. They may be registered Democrats, but they vote Republican

not that the three Congressional Representatives from heavily Cuban districts are Republicans.

[GBD4]

4. While I agree

that Cubans are less overwhelmingly Republican than many outside FL believe, please note that until 1990 or 1992, there were no Cuban Congressmen in SoFla. In other words, Dems like Claude Pepper were representing Cubans, not Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and the Diaz-Balart brothers. That may explain why Dems since 1979 received more Congressional donations than Repubs. But yes, the Miami Herald has reported that Republicans do NOT dominate the Cuban community, and that younger generations are particularly liberal. Regardless, it's good to know Dubya is losing popularity :) .

[Born_a_Democrat]

5. I am Cuban living in Miami, FL

And for many years I have drilled, what I sometimes feel ashamed to call, my people, about the true intentions of Republicans. Since none of the people I know make $350,000 per year or more I have continually pressed that we are not rich enough to be Republicans.

Continuing that even if we were Republicans do not care about Cuba. If they did the same way they profess to care about the people in Iraq they would have freed Cuba decades ago.

I have been continually at odds with my parents often striking a fragile truce for such occasions as Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas but I have never betrayed my ideals and will often get into drawn out arguments about party politics.

Although angry at my family's lack of understanding the truth about Republicans I can often sympathize as I realize that the brainwashing that occured to make Cubans vote Republican was powerful.

In many cases though (as evident by my ideals) the old-guard was Republican but as the younger generation went to school we realized that Democrats held more to ideals beneficial to us than Republicans did. I have been out of school for many years now but am glad to see that the next generation has realized this as well.

Evidence of this can be seen in last years attempts by Radicals to repeal the gay rights ordinance. Their miserable failure was due in no small part to the younger generation.

The fight will never be over but it is good to know that within the Cuban community at least, the tide is finally turning in our favor.

Mike

[GBD4]

6. US Congress District FL-25

The 2002 election in FL-25 was the real tragedy of it all. For those who didn't follow it, it was Cuban Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican State Rep, versus Cuban Annie Betancourt, a Democrat State Rep. I was really pulling for Annie! Diaz-Balart made the whole election about Cuba and used all sorts of scheming tactics to get people scared of Betancourt. The whole thing was ridiculous, and it was another win for the Diaz-Balart gang. :( She was definitely the rising star in the world of Cuban Democratic politics. I hope she tries for another office in the future.

[Born_a_Democrat]

7. I voted for Annie Betancourt

I was in that district when the election took place.

[realFedUp]

8. Photo-op- Bush riding on that floating Chevy...

Bush's beans are baked.