Without free and open elections a government leader is not legitimate. [View all]

[Skinner]

You can talk all you want about Cuba's record on literacy and health care. But there is no ignoring the fact that the Cuban people do not have any legitimate mechanism to peacefully select those who rule them.

You might think Fidel was swell, but there is no legitimate way of knowing whether the Cuban people thought so. Because Fidel never had the guts -- or the respect for his own people -- to stand for free, fair and open elections.

Yes, I know what the Cuba-apologists are going to say. You are going to claim that the sham one-party elections in Cuba where candidates must get approval from the government to run unopposed are more democratic than the American system because electoral college, campaign contributions, hacked voting machines, Trump, imperialist Yankee propaganda. And I don't doubt you believe it. But that doesn't make it true.

Elections. There is no substitute.