Miami-Dade County went Red this election. We had been a small blue island in this sea of Red Floriduh, but the Hispanic vote drank the Kool Aid of the tRump Cult. Local news ran some fool talking about voting against communism. Old Cubans here have never left the cold war crap of 1959, but unfortunately, like the racist bigots in Dix…
Miami-Dade County went Red this election. We had been a small blue island in this sea of Red Floriduh, but the Hispanic vote drank the Kool Aid of the tRump Cult. Local news ran some fool talking about voting against communism. Old Cubans here have never left the cold war crap of 1959, but unfortunately, like the racist bigots in Dixie, the next generation seems unable to break from their mythology. They haven't learned that Communism/Socialism vs Capitalism are Economic systems, not related to Democracy vs Autocracy which are governing systems. Also, they ignore that the Dems have nothing to do with the worldwide post COVID inflation and the damage of Putin's war on Ukraine that is affecting everyone around the world. They only comprehend dog-whistle catch phrases fed to them by the political gamers, then vote against their own best interests.
In other words, they bought the messaging. We as Democrats have a general messaging problem with a few exceptions. Money is part of the reason. But did you see D polls go up when Obama stepped on to the scene? He knows how to explain the realities to people on a level anyone can understand. We need more of that!
YES re Obama's appearance, at last! I felt such a lift inside! Those were the days -- and it gave me such a wonderful feeling that we can have our nation back again, the way it was under Obama.
Rob, I think there is an additional piece to the Hispanic puzzle in Florida. The white Cubans want to be seen in this country as white and despite rich white people claiming they have no privilege, they do have privilege, and the white Cubans want that. I suspect they think if they vote along with the privileged white folks they will be included as the Irish, Italians, and Eastern Europeans were a century ago. They probably will be because the white population is increasingly becoming a smaller and smaller majority. I think the white Cubans are making a mistake going in the direction of supporting the DeSantis crowd, but as you say, they are stuck in the 1950s and can't get past it and DeSantis and friends are very willing to exploit it, and everyone loses.
When the communists ousted Batista in 1959 a bunch of white Cuban's fled to Miami, which was SEGREGATED at that time. Of all the Cubans I know here only one was black (and I met him thru his Puerto Rican wife). I have been to crumbling Havana a few years ago and that's where all the black Cubans are. BTW, I have encountered racist Cubans when I lived in Hialeah in the '70s. Tho Hispanic, it appears they are the same as all the other Southerners in Dixie.
Rob, to let you know how ignorant I was until I was grown, I didn't even know about Black Cubans. I had never met one although I had met many white Cubans. How is it I didn't know when I knew slavery was big on the island. We gave haven to the white Cubans, but not so much to the Black Cubans. And, I have heard white Cuban racism is as well entrenched as that of the confederates. Just pay attention to Ted Cruz. How sad to come to a country so you can put all your hometown racism to work here too.
I had suspicions for years. Every time LIFE magazine or National Geographic did a feature on Cuba, there were lots of black ppl in the background. Since living in Miami, it is almost all white Cubans you see. Just a remnant of the ugly history of the 1960s Cold War era. I do have lots of Cuban-American friends here who are actually liberal and respect blacks & gays & other ppl out of favor in the last century. When I first got here in the '70s there were Cuban terrorists bombing anyone who did not support hard-line anti-socialist views.
We knew that many in the Cuban community want a caudillo and long for the days when they had absolute control over minorities. Thus los pendejos DeSantis and Rubio.
But I am also pissed at Blacks and other minorities for not voting. I am pissed at BLM for giving Florida to that mentality by endorsing the Cuban government over the dissidents in Cuba, who happen to be 99% Black. I am pissed at Bernie for his complete ignorance about Cuba, I am pissed at the DNC, with whom I spoke, for pulling out support for local candidates in Miami Dade. I am pissed that we didn't have viable candidates to run against Gutierrez and Mario Diaz-Balart. I'm also pissed at myself for spending time and money on dead losers' when I should have spent it on Ohio, Georgia, Nevada and Aridzona.
Rob. These people who "drank the Kool Aide" are the same folks that fill up their cars with fuel to go to work, that go to the grocery stores and try to purchase food for their families. Say all you want. Biden and his team have made things from COVID and the Ukraine war worse NOT BETTER. Most intelligent people can see that. Get out of your bubble. Many good hard working citizens are not STUPID as Democrats seem to think!!!
Sorry Cecelia, there are a lot of us intelligent people out here who know what you and conservatives claim is not true. Biden did not cause the inflation nor the rise in gas prices. Oil corporations saw a chance to raise prices even though not needed, as Dr. Reich has pointed out. Years ago, to increase their profits. We ceded the making of the equipment to achieve leadership in renewable energy to China because having it here would offend the fossil fuelers. The war in Ukraine was a fantasy war by Putin to recreate the Russian empire of yore. It would not have stopped with Ukraine and we have obligations to our allies, Ukraine being one of them to provide support if they were to be invaded. Conservatives worry more about immigrants coming through our southern border, calling it an invasion while not wanting us to support a real invasion of an ally. I am not sure how that works for them, but the message really gets out to those Conservative Republicans, who are disgruntled about everything, thinking they are somehow owed something. They don't even want to pay taxes for all the stuff they want and whine about regularly. What a mess!
Intelligent people also "fill up their cars...", etc. They don't see what you think they see, and Kool-Aid isn't on their grocery lists.
Whatever you think "Biden and his team have done," one thing they have NOT done is push white supremacy as the Emerald City at the end of the US Yellow Brick Road.
Nonsense. You're trying to persuade people that "your side" is better, more accurate, whatever. You're also ASSuming that anyone who doesn't see things your way is in a bubble.
Maybe you're just WRONG.
You're writing to people who aren't in a bubble, who DO look at "both sides," and who make DECISIONS based on what they see on both sides. We REJECT your side. Based on overwhelming, irrefutable evidence. Get it?
I bet you have NO idea how much your statement reveals about you. Have you no filter?
Miami-Dade County went Red this election. We had been a small blue island in this sea of Red Floriduh, but the Hispanic vote drank the Kool Aid of the tRump Cult. Local news ran some fool talking about voting against communism. Old Cubans here have never left the cold war crap of 1959, but unfortunately, like the racist bigots in Dixie, the next generation seems unable to break from their mythology. They haven't learned that Communism/Socialism vs Capitalism are Economic systems, not related to Democracy vs Autocracy which are governing systems. Also, they ignore that the Dems have nothing to do with the worldwide post COVID inflation and the damage of Putin's war on Ukraine that is affecting everyone around the world. They only comprehend dog-whistle catch phrases fed to them by the political gamers, then vote against their own best interests.
In other words, they bought the messaging. We as Democrats have a general messaging problem with a few exceptions. Money is part of the reason. But did you see D polls go up when Obama stepped on to the scene? He knows how to explain the realities to people on a level anyone can understand. We need more of that!
YES re Obama's appearance, at last! I felt such a lift inside! Those were the days -- and it gave me such a wonderful feeling that we can have our nation back again, the way it was under Obama.
Rob, I think there is an additional piece to the Hispanic puzzle in Florida. The white Cubans want to be seen in this country as white and despite rich white people claiming they have no privilege, they do have privilege, and the white Cubans want that. I suspect they think if they vote along with the privileged white folks they will be included as the Irish, Italians, and Eastern Europeans were a century ago. They probably will be because the white population is increasingly becoming a smaller and smaller majority. I think the white Cubans are making a mistake going in the direction of supporting the DeSantis crowd, but as you say, they are stuck in the 1950s and can't get past it and DeSantis and friends are very willing to exploit it, and everyone loses.
When the communists ousted Batista in 1959 a bunch of white Cuban's fled to Miami, which was SEGREGATED at that time. Of all the Cubans I know here only one was black (and I met him thru his Puerto Rican wife). I have been to crumbling Havana a few years ago and that's where all the black Cubans are. BTW, I have encountered racist Cubans when I lived in Hialeah in the '70s. Tho Hispanic, it appears they are the same as all the other Southerners in Dixie.
Rob, to let you know how ignorant I was until I was grown, I didn't even know about Black Cubans. I had never met one although I had met many white Cubans. How is it I didn't know when I knew slavery was big on the island. We gave haven to the white Cubans, but not so much to the Black Cubans. And, I have heard white Cuban racism is as well entrenched as that of the confederates. Just pay attention to Ted Cruz. How sad to come to a country so you can put all your hometown racism to work here too.
I had suspicions for years. Every time LIFE magazine or National Geographic did a feature on Cuba, there were lots of black ppl in the background. Since living in Miami, it is almost all white Cubans you see. Just a remnant of the ugly history of the 1960s Cold War era. I do have lots of Cuban-American friends here who are actually liberal and respect blacks & gays & other ppl out of favor in the last century. When I first got here in the '70s there were Cuban terrorists bombing anyone who did not support hard-line anti-socialist views.
I agree with everything Rob says.
We knew that many in the Cuban community want a caudillo and long for the days when they had absolute control over minorities. Thus los pendejos DeSantis and Rubio.
But I am also pissed at Blacks and other minorities for not voting. I am pissed at BLM for giving Florida to that mentality by endorsing the Cuban government over the dissidents in Cuba, who happen to be 99% Black. I am pissed at Bernie for his complete ignorance about Cuba, I am pissed at the DNC, with whom I spoke, for pulling out support for local candidates in Miami Dade. I am pissed that we didn't have viable candidates to run against Gutierrez and Mario Diaz-Balart. I'm also pissed at myself for spending time and money on dead losers' when I should have spent it on Ohio, Georgia, Nevada and Aridzona.
That is very interesting! I have been trying to understand the Latino vote in Florida, but haven't made any sense of until now.
And DeathSantis cheated like crazy.
Rob. These people who "drank the Kool Aide" are the same folks that fill up their cars with fuel to go to work, that go to the grocery stores and try to purchase food for their families. Say all you want. Biden and his team have made things from COVID and the Ukraine war worse NOT BETTER. Most intelligent people can see that. Get out of your bubble. Many good hard working citizens are not STUPID as Democrats seem to think!!!
Sorry Cecelia, there are a lot of us intelligent people out here who know what you and conservatives claim is not true. Biden did not cause the inflation nor the rise in gas prices. Oil corporations saw a chance to raise prices even though not needed, as Dr. Reich has pointed out. Years ago, to increase their profits. We ceded the making of the equipment to achieve leadership in renewable energy to China because having it here would offend the fossil fuelers. The war in Ukraine was a fantasy war by Putin to recreate the Russian empire of yore. It would not have stopped with Ukraine and we have obligations to our allies, Ukraine being one of them to provide support if they were to be invaded. Conservatives worry more about immigrants coming through our southern border, calling it an invasion while not wanting us to support a real invasion of an ally. I am not sure how that works for them, but the message really gets out to those Conservative Republicans, who are disgruntled about everything, thinking they are somehow owed something. They don't even want to pay taxes for all the stuff they want and whine about regularly. What a mess!
Like button didn't work.
Amen.
Please explain to us how Biden has made things economically worse. We're open here. Tell us.
Intelligent people also "fill up their cars...", etc. They don't see what you think they see, and Kool-Aid isn't on their grocery lists.
Whatever you think "Biden and his team have done," one thing they have NOT done is push white supremacy as the Emerald City at the end of the US Yellow Brick Road.
You're the one in a bubble.
Like button doesn't work.
Yes you are. You support price fixers, price gougers and ultimately Putin.
Why are you even on Robert Reich's page with all those lies?
Marcel. Hoping some people will step out of their bubble and look at both sides of the issues!!
Lies like yours are not a "side of the issues", they are lies.
Nonsense. You're trying to persuade people that "your side" is better, more accurate, whatever. You're also ASSuming that anyone who doesn't see things your way is in a bubble.
Maybe you're just WRONG.
You're writing to people who aren't in a bubble, who DO look at "both sides," and who make DECISIONS based on what they see on both sides. We REJECT your side. Based on overwhelming, irrefutable evidence. Get it?
I bet you have NO idea how much your statement reveals about you. Have you no filter?
Do not agree.