Republican hold on Cuban-Americans seen weakening

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=16&u=/afp/20041013/ts_alt_afp/us_vote_cubans_041013133810

MIAMI (AFP) - The Republican party may no longer count on the automatic support of Florida's Cuban-American community, but Dania Rudd still looks over her shoulder to make sure no one would hear her say she is a Democrat.

Older Cubans, like those who gather daily at Little Havana's emblematic Maximo Gomez Park, tend to remain loyal to the Republican Party for its hard line on Cuban President Fidel Castro (news - web sites)'s Communist government.

Cuban-born Rudd, who has lived in Miami for 49 years, says she is a Democrat -- but casting a glance at the men playing dominoes in the Miami park, she whispered: "Here I can't say it out loud, because they'd call me a Communist."

Yet, opinion polls show the 1.2 million strong Cuban-American community in Florida is not as staunchly Republican as it once was.

Younger Cubans in particular tend to be less concerned about tough sanctions aimed at weakening the Communist government, and more interested in domestic issues such as health, jobs and education.

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Viva los cubanos que prefieron Kerry!!!

cosidering how _Bush has made around 24, 25, or more trips to Miami since he stole the pResidency. He has gone there to suck up to them since his campaign in 2000.

His brother, _Jeb, is going to go wild over this. He has felt he had a complete lock on the Cuban "exile" community for years and years. What a pity.

It's going to be fun watching these Cuban "exile" Congresscritters pitch even one more fit over this turn of events!



Lincoln Diaz-Balart, on the left side of the photo, Mario Diaz-Balart on the right, with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. They surround their hired buddy, Dan Burton, who gets more of his financing from outside Indiana than from within.

Si, se puede!