For the first time since Pappa Bush screwed up the response to Hurricane Andrew in largely Cuban American south Dade County (an obviously genetic flaw which foreshadowed Shrub's response to Katrina in NOLA), the Democratic Party was poised to make significant electoral advances into the Cuban American community.
This year, the Democrats are fielding a full slate of strong candidates against the south Florida "Gang of Three" of GOP Cuban American representatives (the Diaz-Balart brothers and Mrs. Dexter Lehtinen). The strongest of the pack is Democratic former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez. Raul was the anointed and groomed candidate to replace beloved Democratic Congressman Claude Pepper, until Raul was indicted by then Republican appointed federal prosecutor Dexter Lehtinen. Of course, Raul was eventually acquitted on all charges, but not until after the Republican Mrs. Lehtinen was elected to the seat. (How convenient!)
Anyway, Mayor Martinez was a good bet to unseat Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart this November. (Let's just say that among the Diaz-Balart clan, Lincoln is more Neil than George or Jeb.)
That, of course, was until Barry O shot off his big mouth at the last debate. Obama's continued adherence to the "I'll meet with Castro with no restrictions" line has single handledly given new hope to south Florida Republicans, and has in all likelihood single handedly given the GOP a continued safe lock on these three largely Cuban American Congressional districts.
http://www.miamiherald.com/...
If you think I'm exaggerating, think of what would happen if he tilted Palestinian in Jewish neighborhoods of New York? British in Irish areas of Boston? Turkish among the Armenian community in L.A.? Pro Apartheid in Harlem or Compton? Why are the sensibilities of other communities a factor, but not the sensibilities of Cuban Americans? Dumb, dumb, dumb. And, with complete foreknowledge, unnecessary and dumb.
I guess Barry O is so new to national politics that he doesn't know what happened in 2000. So, will some of you unrestrained Obamaphiles on kos please school Obama about the importance of Florida in presidential and congressional politics? Even if he won't seat our delegates, can he refrain from kicking our candidates in the 'nads?
UPDATE - Lots of "don't pander to the Cubans" comments. One even says, don't pander to "that bunch"! Imagine if someone posted a diary about a minority group's concerns, and elicited comments saying "Don't pander to (blacks) (jews) (women) (gays)", and someone else replied, "Don't pander to that bunch!" I guess bigotry is okay on kos, but only certain bigotry.