Via Penultimos Dias, today we learn the Yoani Sanchez prefers Barrack Obama as President of the US because, in a nutshell, it would give the Cuban government less ammunition for its attacks on the big bad evil empire to the North. Basically, the gist is: he’s young and he’s black and thus the Cuban government may take a PR beating for criticism of Obama, plus his campaign slogan “Change” coincides with the general sentiment in Cuba, mostly among the youth.
Now, that may be so, and, yes, Obama is young and black, and I am by no means stating that Yoani’s not entitled to an opinion about the US Presidential race. But it being a US Presidential race means that the best man for the office of Commander in Chief is one that has the best interests of the US and all her people in mind. And that man has to have more than rhetoric, age and the color of his skin as his only verifiable assets. That man has to have knowledge, experience, conviction and a slew of other characteristics necessary for being, literally, the most powerful man on Earth.
Im no fan of McCain, and this election is definitely a “hold your nose pull the lever” one if ever there was one, but given Obama’s lack of experience, his incredibly leftist pedigree, his lack of substance, lack of platform other than “Change”, his campaign’s racist – yes racist – overtones, his associations with racist demagogues like the Reverend Wright, his associations with criminals like Rezco, his wavering stances on a myriad issues, his marxists ties, his naivetee and inexperience with foreign policy, his proclivity to meet with dictators and terrorists and his entitlement/elitist attitude, I will stick with the old foagie McCain any day of the week.
Sure, for us the Cuba issue is an important one when electing someone for office, any office, in the US. And a particular candidate’s stance on Cuba may be the specific reason we vote or dont vote for him or her in any given election. But we, as Cuban-Americans cant – and shouldnt – trade the best interests of this country for another.
When we take to the polls, we take with us the responsibility, duty and obligation to do what is best for this country, with the hope and yearning that our decision coincides with what is best for Cuba.
For the record: I and this blog will continue to support the great work that Yoani does from the island prison and we will continue to do whatever it takes to bring Cuba issues to light, but I cant – and Im sure all our contributors feel the same way – promote someone for President of the United States simply and solely because that man will give the regime in Cuba less to criticize.
The truth is, after all is said and done, still the truth. The Cuban government and its castroite press can draw as many caricatures and write as many slanted and outright false articles as it wants, but the truth will always be there, no matter how much that regime wants to contort and compromise it.
As for those who think that Obama’s youth is an asset and who may vote for him simply because of said youth, like my grandmother used to say:
El diablo sabe mas por viejo, que por diablo.
Well said. There are people out there that think we need to agree with dissidents on the island on every issue and that is clearly not the case. In the end it’s our election not theirs. Our prayer is that someday they’ll be able to vote and choose from among multiple candidates themselves.
In terms of Cuba, Barack Obama’s position today is not monumentally different than McCain’s or even the President’s. The only difference is on the remittance and travel restrictions. And his difference is to go back to a policy that was in place for half of this president’s time in office.
To state it clearly, Obama’s position on Cuba is no sooner going to bring freedom to Cuba than the current policies.
Change needs to come from inside of Cuba with the help of the international spotlight. Period. It’s not about America. It’s about Cuba.
I agree with you both, but at the same time can understand her sentiment. After so much BDS coming from the Cuban regime, she would like a president the regime couldn’t attack so that Cubans start to “lift” the veil and see that the US is not the big bad wolf. Same goes for people in Venezuela.
My two cents on Obama candidacy, if he wins with a Democratic congress….yikes!
However, should he win with a Republican congress then I would have some (notice I said some) relief b/c hopefully his inexperience and liberalism would have a balance check system (or check and balances).
I do not like McCain, but will be voting like the rest of us.
Amen, Val. Me adivinaste el pensamiento.
Can I borrow your thoughts and link to my place, so I don’t have to work it twice?
claro, Cubanita, as always.
I hate to put a damper on your weekend. But unless people wake up, the muslim will win and congress will have majority democrats…I might as well leave my job than pay the ridiculous tax bill which will hit us before you know it.
Cubans on the island today – even after 50 years of living in a brainwashed prison society – even if they are anti Castro or critical of the regime are always going to have some flaws in their world view. I have seen it personally myself. They hate the repression in Cuba – and they can’t wait to escape there but when they finally reach America they often times start bashing the country with speech that is very similar to that of the propaganda organs on the island and also they start expecting handouts like if they where still living in Cuba. This is the long term harm that a society like Cuba can create on its subjects.
It’s not their fault, I view them as damaged souls trying to raise above the muck anyway they can – it’s a type of mental or spiritual sodomy that the powers that be in that backwater have instilled into the society, so naturally the population is going to have some type of dysfunction.
Yoani with all her incredible merits is not thinking rationally here, but we need to cut her some slack because even the most admirable in Cuba – those who stand up to the dictatorship are simply not going to reason the way our exiled parents who came over after 59 are going to think.
Good point Mandingo, geez even my 14 year old cousin refuses to discuss Cuba with me. Brainwhashed I tell ya, Brainwashed.
Uh, this is pretty weak logic: if we take a look back at how other men in the Oval Office and how Cuba’s leaders viewed them over the past 50-odd years, it didn’t who they were or what party they came from. Just because Obama is half-black (yes, this needs to be stressed) does not impart upon him some mystical sheen.
I’m not familiar with “Yoani” but she’s clearly being blinded by the messiah-complex that has overrun the faculties of otherwise rational people and is buying into the notion that Obama somehow transcends everyday politics (Obama *is* everyday politics with a Marxist twist).
If you live here and reap the benefits of what this country has to offer, and you vote for someone because it may be in the best interest of another country, then you should promptly leave and go live there.
“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)
On the button Henry, it’s our election not Cuba’s. All around, you are 100% on the money. Oh, Ok, let’s choose a president that will stop the caricatures on the island criticizing the US government, although Obama will give Raul more time to rule. Come on!?? Change must come from within.
Does any one know of evidence, aside from the Iranian tankers in storage, of OPEC influencing the price of oil in possible attempts to get Obama elected?
I have the utmost respect and admiration for Yoani, and for the Damas de Blanco. However, they don’t live in the United States, and what news they receive of the United States is distorted, to say the least. They can’t be expected to have much of a grasp of U.S. politics. Furthermore, even if I were to come to the conclusion that they were right, and that an Obama presidency might be good for Cuba (by the way, ladies, that is extremely debatable) Cuba is not the only issue in this election, for God’s sake.
Furthermore, and I may be treading on thin ice, and I do not mean to impugn Yoani or heaven forbid the Damas de Blanco, but we don’t know anything about the circumstances under which these endorsements were made. The possibility that the regime has somehow compelled these “endorsements” cannot be discounted.
Making Obama President so the Castro’s can’t complain anymore, is the same argument that says we ought to drop the embargo so Cuba can’t use it as an excuse for their failures – hello, McFly, hello! What kind of logic is that? Jiminy Crickets, how absolutely self-destuctive. In fact, as Machiavellian as Fidel is, I don’t doubt he’s played that card all these years hoping it would finally hit pay-dirt. Using that logic, we should have rid ourselves of all nuclear weapons so the Soviets wouldn’t have had an excuse to place their nukes in Cuba in 1962! C’mon, please, how friggin twisted…