Politics of the Cuban Embargo

There are few historical events that remind us of the evolution of Frankenstein's' monster. The birth of the Cuban American National Foundation, with the support of presidency, at first supported the needs of the oval office, but in time came to be the very entity that lead to restricting those very same hands in the Cuban policy arena.

In this work, The Cuban Embargo, The Domestic Politics of an American Foreign Policy, Haney and Vanderbrush walk us through he genesis of Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) from the Regan presidency to modern day. They show the growth of the group through its repeated ability to influence politics at ever increasing levels. Their current level of political control over the Cuban embargo and politics thereof is contrasted against the unbridled power of the executive exercised in the early years of the embargo.

Haney and Vanderbrush have both been professors at Miami University. Miami is the hotbed of political activity related to the Cuba policy. Both authors have written many scholarly documents on the relations between the United States and Latin America.

Summary

By stepping through each presidential administration from Ronald Regan to George W. Bush we get to see how each of these president interacted with CANF as either friend or foe. We get to contrast this against the background information provided on the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, administrations. It becomes clear the relationship between CANF and the oval office starts out cozy but goes through some uncomforableperiods as well. As the book wraps up, prior to the current administration, it becomes clear that the political capital, garnered by supporting the Cuban embargo, is more important that the net effect of the po...

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...rd to the righteousness of the embargo. With Florida's 27 electoral votes at stake, no serious candidate could risk losing this prize by not going along with the embargo. In the end instead of being part of the policy discussion they are almost making the policy, by holding candidates feet to the fire on the embargo issue.

Conclusion

The political realities of the electorate in South Florida are tied directly to the Cuban embargo issue. As long as CANF stirs the body politic to vote embargo first and Florida carries 27 electoral votes, the embargo is not likely to end any time soon. CANF has shown its willingness to support candidates who support their position and oppose, with their wallets, those who do not. The executive support for this organization has to have waned as it now has become just another special interest to which the candidates are beholden.