Cuba And The Candidates

Ken AshfordElection 2008, Foreign AffairsLeave a Comment

For those who think that all politicians are the same — take a gander on the statements of Obama, Clinton, and McCain on Cuba, now that Castro has resigned.

In a nutshell, Obama wants to move toward normalizing relations, starting with allowing Cuban Americans to travel freely to Cuba and send money to their family members back there (Bush disallowed this practice a few years ago).  This would serve as a "test" to open up further inroads to Cuba and move it into the 21st century.

Clinton, on the other hand, would continue Bush’s hard-line stance and does not believe in easing up travel restrictions.  She does, however, favor that Cuban exiles be allowed to send money back to their family in Cuba.

McCain, of course, has the hardest line of all against Cuba.  Basically, to keep sanctions against them until the become a democracy.  The same policy that hasn’t worked in 45 years.