Why are Floridian Cubans so strongly Republican?

[TexasSissy]

I was watching a program on c-span, the airing of a conference of Cuban Americans and others concerning the newly passed restrictions on travel to Cuba. In that conference I learned that Cuban Americans typically vote about 90% Republican, more strongly Republican than any other group in America. (I also learned that that support is lessening, in view of the new restrictions, but they are still strongly supporting Bush, as a group.)

My question is....why do Cuban Americans vote Republican to such a large degree? It seems to be so much against their interest. Is it the religious factor? Do they like the more authoritarian stance of the Republican Party? What is it, do you think? Are there any Cuban Americans who participate in DU who can shed light on this?

[WI_DEM]

1. because they hate Fidel

and think that the GOP is the party which is toughest on communism.

[zbdent]

2. Two words

Elian Gonzales.

At least, that's my theory.

[Brotherjohn]

3. It pre-dated that. It's what the first post said.

Repubs have been traditionally strongly anti-communist. Fidel is communist. They think Republicans will give them their country back.

Of course, it's been half a century now...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

28. How Many Of Them Would Go Back?

The Cuban diaspora is not going back to a liberated Cuba...

[TexasSissy]

4. Yes, that hurt Gore. But I got the impression that the Cubans have always

been strongly Republican, pre-dating the Elian Gonzales matter.

[Webster Green]

5. No, that episode was a symptom, not a cause....

They just don't like communism. Castro nationalized their family's source of income perhaps. They were hard core right wingers long before Elian showed up.

[GainesT1958]

6. A few reasons:

>Most of the "leaders" of the Cuban-American community fled Castro's revolution. Many were well-off financially, and some came from the "upper crust" of Cuban society. They had been, by and large, supporters of the Batista dictatorship Fidel overthrew. Others, early supporters of Fidel, turned away from him when they saw him ally himelf with the Soviet Union. Many of them agreed with Eisenhower's turning his back on Fidel.

> Many Cubans were disgusted with the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion and (unfairly) blamed JFK for it. This turned them away from the Democratic Party and pretty much firmly into the arms of the Repubs early on.

> Later, Cubans didn't like the way Jimmy Carter handled the Mariel Boatlift refugees in 1980. Already predisposed toward Ronald Reagan's virulent anti-communism and conservative politics in general, they became some of his staunchest supporters.

It is good, though, to see a lot of the younger genreations of Cubans venture out of that "Political stereotype" and into our camp!:D

B-)

[bullimiami]

10. Gaines is right.

Its the Bay of Pigs and Kennedy was a democrat.

They blame the Dems for Castro and everything that came since because of it.

[lgardengate]

23. I Agree!

Those are all part of the reason.I used to date a Cuban guy who had really adoped America as his home.His parents didn't speak english hardly at all but he was fluent.Cuban (and mexicans) tend to be pretty conservative in there values.That is also part of it.They tend to be devoted to the churchs teachings.

[Parrcrow]

27. And the Cuban Missile Crisis

afterwards the Kennedy Administration said that the U.S. would not attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. Many Cubans in Florida have not forgiven the Democratic Party for that as well.

[liberalmuse]

7. Many supported the Battista regime...

and it's not too far a stretch to go from supporting a totalitarian dictator to supporting a Republican. Many have used their wealth gained under one country's monsters in order to bring this country's monsters into power (ex: the Bush family). If anyone thinks I'm out of line in saying this, please set me straight!

Castro may be an 'evil' socialist dictator, but Battista was much worse IMHO.

[OSheaman]

8. No, you're definitely right

. . . but it is my opinion (and Dave Barry's, incidentally) that Elian Gonzales threw the election in Florida for Bush.

[liberalmuse]

9. I agree.

I'm also glad to see that the younger generation of Cubans are slowly breaking away from their parents and grandparents mindset and seem have more allegience to America, their native land, than to restoring Cuba to it's former 'glory'.

On that note, I wish we would drop sanctions against Cuba already!

[Toucano]

26. It was election FRAUD that threw the election in Florida to Bush. n/t

[Heyo]

11. I live in S. Florida....

... and I have talked to and mostly worked with quite a few Cuban imigrants..... actually a couple that litteraly floated over on rafts. My friend who used to work here at my job came over in a makeshift boat when he was one year old with his parents.

The bottom line is, they hate Castro, they see what he has done... he has tormented them, he has put their relatives in prison to languish for obscene amounts of time, for no reason at all... he has executed people for simply saying the wrong thing...

They would never support anyone who was or appeared to be soft on communism/Castro... they have seen in with their own eyes, they get a little extra fervor in their voice when they talk about it.

The Elian Gonzalaz thing didn't help either..... taking away this kid's freedom that his mother gave her LIFE for him to have, and sending him back to a communist state where he will never even have a chance, and sending him back to his father (a.k.a. Fidel Castro) is something I will never forgive Janet Reno for.. heartless bitch. The kids actual biological father, I don't know but it looked to me by his appearance and mannerisms during those interviews he gave that off camera there was a pistol pointed right at his head. He was nothing but Castro's political pawn, and so was little Elian.

Heyo

[napi21]

12. Anyone have any current on Elian? I haven't heard anything for

a LONG time! I don't pretend to know what it's like to live in Cuba, but this little boy's mother was dead, and I have to believe his father wanted to be with him. How in the world could you justify going against all the US laws that say children should be with their biological parent, and keep this little boy with his distant relatives in Fla.? Just because you hate Fidel????

[Heyo]

15. A few reasons...

#1 because his mother died to get the kid his freedom, otherwise she would've left him with his dad in Cuba. She knew the risk. What was done basically causes his mother to be disgraced and to have died for nothing.

#2 It's not like they were total strangers, they were relatives, albeit cousins and uncles and the like.. but whom cared very much for him.

#3 If he was able to stay in the US, he would've had a chance to make something of himself. That would've been a great legacy and an inspiration, a young buy who floats over from Cuba, who's mother did not survive the trip, grows up in freedom. Granted there's no guarantee that he would've been this great success, at least he had a chance. He has no chance to ever better himself in Cuba, he is a ward of the communist state, and that's all he'll ever be.

#4 This not as much to do with his dad have custody of the littly guy, and more just the fact that Castro wanted to put his thumb on this kid's chance to succeed in America. I even suspect that the father wanted his boy to stay in America, obviously he couldn't say that or he would be put into the gulag immediately.

But to break it all down.. it seems so simple to me.. I can't imagine anyohe even thinking twice about this choice.... A mother and young son attempt to make the trip out of Cuba to escape to America, the mother does not survive the trip, but the child does..... do you a) let him stay in America and enjoy the freedom that his mother died so he could have... or b) raid the house stick a gun in his face and send him back to Castro...??? It's so cold hearted and cruel and just plain disgusting.

Heyo

[Padraig18]

16. So, we should make no effort to help American children...

... being held against their mother's/father's wishes by the other parent in, say.... Saudi Arabia? That is where your logic leads, you know? The fact of the matter is that the child's sole surviving parent lived in Cuba, not the USA. There was no showing whatsoever that Elian's father was unfit, and to deprive a parent of custody in the manner his (extended) family was attempting to do is unconscionable AND in contravention of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

:wtf:

[foo_bar]

18. no one's leaving SA on a raft

From the feminist perspective, there's a high probability she was fleeing domestic abuse.

[Padraig18]

20. Baloney!

There is NO evidence of that, from a feminist perspective, or otherwise. The only accounts ever put forth indicate that they were amicably divorced, and got on well.

[calico1]

22. I agree. The dad seemed to be very loving toward

Elian. Yes, Cuba is a Communist country but that doesn't mean parents there do not love their children. I remember seeing home movie clips they showed on the news with both parents attending Elian's birthday party. They had remained friendly after their divorce and shared custody. Elian's relatives in Fla. wanted people to believe that the mother was trying to save Elian from living in Communism and all that, but in fact she was following her boyfriend who wanted to try and make it to the U.S. She took the boy with her. The family in Fla was not exactly a model family. Didn't the uncles both have arrest records? And the cousin, remember her? She was a piece of work and then there was something like 10 people living in this one small house. There is no evidence that Elian was abused by his father. If he were irresponsible this would have been the perfect opportunity for him to get rid of Elian. Kids belong with their parents. I think the best call was made for Elian.

[calico1]

13. Gaines is absolutely right

Its for all those reasons. This goes back to way before Elian. Unlike most Hispanics in the US, the vast majority who came over after Fidel took over were from wealthy families. They want a very hard line toward Cuba and the Republicans are more hard line than the Democrats. Fortunately, the younger generation seems to be changing somewhat in their attitudes. They have grown up here and without wealth so they are more in tune with other Hispanics. Still, the majority of the votes will go to Bush. However, in Cuba there are other Hispanics. Puerto Ricans for example, are increasing in number there and they are overwhelmingly Democrats.

[Bombtrack]

14. You mean, "in Florida" rather than "in Cuba", right?

Second to last sentance you said that there are other hispanics "in Cuba" etc. I assume you mean "in Florida"

I go to school in So FL. We have to genuinly accept that there are extremes in Florida and in policy towards Cuba, on the right, and left, that are both genuinly wrong. We have more influence on lefties and we should stress to them that there's nothing realist or tolerant about forgiving Castro or giving him most of what he wants. And that anti-Castro Cubans need not be stereotyped as some fascist, militant, element. Cubans are right to be anti-Castro, and we should understand, but not agree with, the reason so many have a hard time embracing left-wing associated politics or ideologies. I think it goes without saying that there are some bad frigging guys in the right-wing Cuban community. But that doesn't give us the right to ignore unwarrented critism of anti-Castro Cubans in general on the left, and apoligists for Castro on the activist/counterculturalist/anti-Globalist horde-thinkers on the left. Such as people in groups like internationalanswer and their intellectual allies.

[calico1]

21. Yes, I meant Florida. I was thinking "Cubans"

so typed "Cuba" but of course I meant Florida. Thanks for correcting me.

[sampsonblk]

17. Godfather, Part II

That should clear it up for you.

[PVnRT]

19. Typically the older Cubans

Younger Cubans tend to lean more Democrat, they just don't vote as much.

As for the older ones, they yearn for the good ol' days of embargo, near war, etc., because they miss the Batista days when they could fuck the people of Cuba over for fun and profit.

[ButterflyBlood]

24. Because they are the elites

they are exiles from the Batista regime. While Batista was in power their families were his thugs that shared the riches with him. So they left when Castro destroyed the Batista regime and are now allied with the neocons.

[auburnblu]

25. How can no one have put up the subject "Bay of Pigs"???

Politics aside, sure the CIA provided Cuban rebels with weapons and helped plan an invasion. But where was the U.S. help??? Similar to what Bush Sr. did with the Iraqi rebels right after the Gulf War, oh sure the U.S. encouraged a rebellion and hinted strongly at support, but when it was time to fight for freedom, the U.S. sat on the sideline. Blame JFK for a lot of the lost love on this one.