Bush's Cuban American Support May Be Slipping: LA Times

[oldhat]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-cubans21sep21,1,5132844,print.story?coll=la-home-politics

Bush's Cuban American Support May Be Slipping

New limits on travel and remittances to Cuba have turned some former backers against the president, surveys show.

By John M. Glionna
Times Staff Writer

September 21, 2004

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Cuban American Jorge Mursuli is livid over how he says President Bush forced him to break a promise made at his mother's deathbed.

He vowed to her to send money and medicine to his aging aunt still living in Fidel Castro's Cuba. But Bush's new policies restricting travel and remittances to the island — a move aimed at further isolating its communist leader — have stifled that goodwill gesture.

Mursuli, who grew up in a Republican household, says Bush is playing politics with his culture's close-knit family ties, appealing to older hard-line Cuban exiles who want Castro overthrown at any cost. He says the president's choice comes at a price: Mursuli, 43, won't be voting for Bush in November.
Recent voter surveys suggest that the solid support for Bush among Cuban Americans may be slipping a bit, especially among the young.

"Family is the center of who we Cubans are," Mursuli said. "You could be my best friend, but come between me and my family and there's no choice there for me. It's over. I'll push you out of the way. Because blood is thicker than politics."

In 2000, when Bush won Florida by 537 votes — a victory that carried him to the White House — he garnered 82% of 450,000 votes cast by Cuban Americans.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. Cubans are probably the only minority that supports Repukes

It'd be hell to see even their support slipping

[Carla in Ca]

11. Last week there was a story about some Cubans just let out of

prison in Panama and * let them into this country to help secure the Cuban vote in Florida. Anyone recall that? Sure wasn't on the news but the LA Times had in on the front page.

[MasonJar]

2. In the summer I went to a fundraiser for the Dems; a Cuban lady

that I was sitting near surprised me by saying how many Cubans despise Stump. She was adamant in her dislike and so were the others in her party. She said that half the Cubans in Florida hate the new policies.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. This Year's Florida Political Calculus

I wonder whether enough of the rest of Florida's voters will remain pro-Bush to vote Gee Dubya a clear majority in that state even without the help of black box trickery during this hurricane season. If so, many Cuban exile voters will find themselves among many other voting blocks who have been burned by the Runnin' Dubya Posse.


I hope there are enough voters from all ethnic groups angry at Gee Dubya and his hermano menor to send no. 43 packing.

[truthisfreedom]

4. it wouldn't take much of a percentage shift to really make a mess for bush

in florida, unless he doesn't care because he's certain the diebold machines are going to deliver it to him with the two-digit code change thingie anyway.

[mconvente]

5. In a race so close in Fl...

Even a minor slip in Cuban-American support for Bush in Fl will give Kerry the win there. At WORST case scenario Kerry and Bush receive the same amount of votes as they were split in 2000. If only 2% of the Cuban-American vote switch to Kerry (that's about 900 people) Kerry wins. This is why EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!

[bagnana]

6. not to mention all of the butterfly ballot voters

who, hopefully, won't be fooled again.

[2Design]

7. considering aging - they may have died in the last four years

[GaryL]

10. A large Noumea of Hispanics have moved to Florida.

This improves Kerry's demographic even more that Gore's. Trouble is, I still believe the fascist first family is still going to fix it.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. If Kerry gets far enough ahead in Florida then Jeb can't steal it.

[disneyboy]

9. OMG...

yes Cubans support RePugs. SOmething about Communism and Cuba. Could someone explain?? My mother always says that "Kennedy betrayed us". uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum.............


Anyway, if Bush loses even a FRACTION of the Cuban vote, one IOTA, Kerry could carry FL. Beleive me, i know.

[flordehinojos]

12. the only thing that bothers me about cuban support slipping away from bush

is that it is based on a lot of emotionality rather than on a thought out study of the candidates, their positions, and the careful conclusion of who would best lead/represent/affirm/uphold our constitution and our democratic values. it is my contention that emotionality can be swayed, like a tree in the path of a hurricane, in an instant and, that while people like mursuli and others are presently inflamed against bush, they can be swayed back just as easily at the drop of a hat if bush happens to speak the right words to them which might appease their inflamed emotionality against bush.

And by the way the LAT, staff writer, Glionna, got it wrong. Bush did not win Florida by 537 votes. BUSH STOLE FLORIDA BY 537 VOTES!!!!!!!!! will they ever get it right?

I would not be celebrating this slipping away of the Cuban American support for bush just yet. It might be prudent to wait until all the votes are counted. Then we will see if the headline was right.

And, as someone born in Cuba of an American mother and a Cuban father, and the great-great-great granddaughter of American Revolutionary War, Brigadier General Andrew Pickens, I support JOHN Kerry and for the life of me, I fail to understand how so many cubans who fled a totalitarian system are blind to the fact that Bush is a despot, a dictator and that he is putting in place the first totalitarian system in these United States ever.

:)