Newsweek: "Florida: Eroding: Bush's Cuban Support"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5040192/site/newsweek/



"Cuban-Americans feel the president, shown here with his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush in Florida last year, should be tougher on Castro"

"May 31 issue - President George W. Bush may have to do without Republicans like Fernando Amandi. A Miami Cuban-American and retired corporate executive who voted for Bush in 2000, he has become disenchanted with the administration, particularly with its handling of policy toward Cuba and Latin America. Bush "talked a good game" against Fidel Castro, says Amandi, "but I didn't see much follow-through." Now Amandi is backing Sen. John Kerry, raising cash (more than $100,000 so far as a vice chair of Kerry's national finance committee) and offering advice on policy. Amandi says: "I've been impressed by much more substantial vision."

"He's not alone. Bush's support among Cuban-Americans in south Florida—about 80 percent of whom backed him in 2000—shows signs of eroding. A March Florida International University poll, for instance, showed that only 56 percent of the state's Cuban-Americans planned to vote for Bush, with 25 percent undecided. While the vast majority will almost certainly back Bush in November, even a shift of 5 percent could tip the balance if Florida is a close race."

[NewJeffCT]

1. why are we tough on Cuban commies, but love Chinese ones?

And Vietnamese?

[ieoeja]

2. They didn't steal from us.

Castro nationalized a lot of industries owned by various Americans in Cuba. We never owned that much in China. And we'd rather forget Vietnam.

[Old and In the Way]

3. The Bush family had financial interests in pre-Castro Cuba.

I think they were long on sugar there. Probably one motivating reason why Poppy was so instrumental in getting the Bay of Pigs invasion going. They'll never forgive Castro for nationalizing that business.

[SoCalDem]

4. As a Cuban-American, I can tell you, I am tired of the whole thing..

We should have "normalized" relations AGES ago.. We cozy up to and trade with EVERY other regime..even Myanmar makes clothes for Walmart :eyes:..

This whole embargo thing is STUPID.. My family was well-connected in the Batista days, and even they saw that our policy was stupid..and they knew it decades ago..

Time marches on, things change..get over it..

Castro was "our boy" , just as Saddam was, and Osama was.. All we have accomplished is that we have lost ANY sphere of influence we might have had.. The Europeans and Canadians will be the ultimate "winners", when the whole thing finally changes..

[beyurslf]

5. This is greta news! Bush could get 75% of the Cuban American vote

in FL and that small shift would be enough to swing the state our way!