The run for the 2008 Presidency began almost immediately after the 2004 elections concluded. However, for most of that time, US policy priorities in Iraq and elsewhere put Cuba on the back-burner of American political debate. Last week, that changed dramatically. The January 29th primary put the spotlight on Florida and the media suddenly noticed that the Cuban-American community could play a decisive role in the results. That was our prime motivation in publishing in a timely fashion the Cuban-American Voter’s Guide – Election 2008. It is absolutely critical for the Cuban exile community that our vote is not taken for granted, that in every election our support be up for grabs for whichever candidates truly care about the issue of freedom for Cuba. In order for our voices to genuinely be heard, we need to be a viable force in both major political parties. If we are a known entity, a “given” for either the Republicans or the Democrats, we will receive no more than the token “Viva Cuba Libre!” visit with little or no effective policy implementation on Cuba. But if our vote is really in play, then it can be won by those elected officials in either party that do what is best on Cuba policy. Based on recent reactions from the national media and the Internet & Blog communities, the Cuban-American Voter’s Guide has played a very helpful role in reinserting Cuba into the national debate. Now our task will be to keep freedom and democracy for Cuba in the limelight from here until the campaigns end in November. And once the results are in, let’s make sure the candidates fulfill the promises they have already espoused in the Guide.
What other initiatives do you think the Cuban-American community could undertake to maintain the issue of a democratic Cuba at the forefront of the national debate?
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14 comments:
It has been a long time since Cuba was a hot topic in political debates. However, I think that can and at some point will change.
Cuba's close proximity combined with its hostile government make it key to immigration and national security concerns. Its government’s relationship with Chavez makes it important to diplomatic stability in the region. And its need for the most basic of infrastructure and business processes would make it a great business partner for many American companies in a time of economic uncertainty.
I think we Cuban-Americans can best help by staying informed, educated and holding our elected officials to their promises.
On a side note, I’m anxious to go see Brothers to the Rescue documentary. Have any of you seen it? How was it?
Regards
Early poll results show McCain in the lead- a victory due mostly to his ability to court the Cuban American vote. Personally Martinez and Lincoln's endorsement of McCain turned me away. This election presents us with the opportunity to break the perception that the Diaz Balart's dominate the exile vote and that our support is bought with a Viva Cuba Libre with cafecito in hand at Versailles.
The Cuban concerns are in good hands with the republicans. We must stand firm and encourage support for the nominee, whoever he is in November-
The Cuban community must not solely focus on the Rebuplican party. We must support whichever candidate will do more for Cuba, Republican or Democratic.
Blindly supporting Republican candidates weakens our positions. This should not be a bipartisan choice but an opportunity to select candidates that could bring about policy initiatives to promote freedom for our brothers and sisters on the island.
So McCain won but he's going to take the lead on Cuba from Lincoln and Mario? that is scary. As a staunch republican, which neither of them are, i would rather have McCain follow his own advice rather than seek out the opinion of these two Congressman who don't propose any new ideas on Cuba and seem to be ok with the U.S. sitting on the sidelines while Cubans have to live under Castro's iron fist. I hope he gets himself a good Cuba advisor that doesn't have a hidden agenda.
So McCain won but he's going to take the lead on Cuba from Lincoln and Mario? that is scary. As a staunch republican, which neither of them are, i would rather have McCain follow his own advice rather than seek out the opinion of these two Congressman who don't propose any new ideas on Cuba and seem to be ok with the U.S. sitting on the sidelines while Cubans have to live under Castro's iron fist. I hope he gets himself a good Cuba advisor that doesn't have a hidden agenda.
Frustrated---i agree with you on that one. CANF has to take the lead, which it hasn't for many years. The voter guide you guys put out was great, you need to do more of that. This community used to look to you guys for leadership and this kind of publication reminds me of the 'glory' days. I don't know why you gave up that space to people like Lincoln, Mario and Ileana when you helped put them there (at least that's what my old man tells me happened). We have to push Washington because our elected leadership including Senator Martinez, have chosen to play it safe. By the way, i would be curious to know if people at CANF actually read this or care what we say?
I agree with all the comments about not having the Cuban community being taken for granted by any party. Anybody that is a friend of a free Cuba and a foe of the dictatorship should be a friend of ours. We should learn that from the Jewish community as they have been able to gather a broad base of Israel allies on both sides of the aisle.
I also worry about the Balart brothers monopolizing Cuba for their own personal political gains without truly having the best interests of the entire Cuban community in their minds. I am hoping that is not the case, but the way they speak and act makes me wonder about it.
TG, I saw Shoot Down and it was very well done. It deserves the Sonoma award that it received. I encourage you and everyone else to go watch it as it very factually captures what happened on that sad and historic day.
http://www.theshootdown.com/shootdownweb/
Go Heat- Yes, CANF leadership and staff do actually read this-i am one of them. We appreciate all of your comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism! This forum was created precisely for this reason-so that we can respond to the concerns and advice of the community we try to represent. Thanks again for your comments and we encourage you to keep participating in this forum!
GoHeat – I want to echo the statements of the previous poster. This blog was created to serve as a forum to communicate, debate and ultimately challenge all Cuban Americans (CANF included) to improve our efforts to assist a democratic transition in Cuba.
Though we may differ in our opinions on how we can best reach our goals we all share the same goal, a free and democratic Cuba. CANF Staff, Members, Directors and University Council Students (UC-CANF) will all participate in this blog. Their participation along with others, like you, is crucial to the success of this blog as a space for Cuban Americans and those who support our cause; to communicate ideas, debate strategy and challenge ourselves to find new avenues to promote democracy in Cuba.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. It’s obvious you have a soft spot in your heart for Cuba and this blog exists so that your opinions and ideas can be heard.
This blog is just what our community needed. A forum to express opinions opendly and debate. Thank you.
To the final question in Jorge's post, "What other initiatives do you think the Cuban-American community could undertake to maintain the issue of a democratic Cuba at the forefront of the national debate?", a view of what the Jewish community has done over the prior years may provide some good food for thought. Similarly to CANF, the issue-focused, pro-Israel lobby AIPAC has for more than half a century been working with Reps and Dems to enact public policy that strengthens the U.S.-Israel relationship.
As Jorge's question implicitly and correctly points out as the critical matter, namely, keeping the Cuba issue high on the radar of national debate, AIPAC has taken a dual-approach over the years.
Firstly, AIPAC hosts several high-profile events per year, including their Annual Policy Conference in Washington D.C. during which more than 60% of all US Senators, Representatives, and a well-selected keynote speaker (depending on the current year issues)meet with thousands of AIPAC members for a 3-day affair that combines social interaction with well-focused breakout sessions and a final "evening" event that gets the adrenaline flowing. I've heard many participants leave saying they felt re-energized, including the attending politicians, with respect to Israel and have made commitments to continue pushing forward over the year. In addition to this event, AIPAC is organized on a regional level througout the US and there are similar, publicly attended regional events held over the course of the year. These events boil down to providing 2 points of value: 1) broadening the reach of Israel supporters to new members while raising the level of support from existing supporters and 2) garnering favorable votes from politicians that otherwise are indifferent and uneducated to our issue because they've received some education on the issue and interacted with constituents. Remember that all people need is a slight recollection of something to cast the vote in your favor when it comes time.
Secondly, AIPAC provides a platform to its members to host more private and smaller events on an ongoing basis. These events are effective for two reasons: 1) they utilize and leverage a voluminous membership base aligned under one issue to continually advocate and talk to politicians. You can quickly do the math and see how much coverage a membership base provides in favor of your issue when appropriately educated, supported, and encouraged. 2)private events provide a forum for big-donors to very effectively capture the attentive ears of politicians and more deeply educate those politicians so they, too, become advocates to their peers within the political arena. This point 2) is harder to accomplish in larger, public events.
AIPAC is fervent about never endorsing candidates but about making constant noise about the US-Israel issue. Its events can always be searched and found on its website, its larger supporters / donors are constantly praised publicly and lauded with rewards by the organization, and its name has become ubiquitous on Capitol Hill and on the lips of politicians even before they know they've won the election.
FYI - food for thought related to post above available at:
http://www.aipac.org/
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