# Obama needs history lesson on Cuba. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 24, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906 "2008-02-24T02:03:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/1 "2008-02-24T02:03:04Z")
Nobody seems to have picked up on this. during the last debate during the Cuban relations exchange , Obama said : > [@](#): > > I support the eventual normalization. And it’s absolutely true that I think our policy has been a failure. I mean, the fact is, is that during my entire lifetime, and\*\* Senator Clinton’s entire lifetime\*\*, you essentially have seen a Cuba that has been isolated, but has not made progress when it comes to the issues of political rights and personal freedoms that are so important to the people of Cuba. So I think that we have to shift policy. Now he should know that Hillary Clinton was 12 years old when Castro came to power and even older when John Kennedy (stocked up with 1200 Cuban cigars)initiated the present policy and went to full embargo, travel restrictions and freezing Cuban assets. Am I the only one who caught this blunder? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/2 "2008-02-24T02:12:17Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Nobody seems to have picked up on this. during the last debate during the Cuban relations exchange , Obama said : Now he should know that Hillary Clinton was 12 years old when Castro came to power and even older when John Kennedy (stocked up with 1200 Cuban cigars)initiated the present policy and went to full embargo, travel restrictions and freezing Cuban assets. Am I the only one who caught this blunder? [/QUOTE] Am I the only one who thought it was merely hyperbole? Your OP strikes me as something of a nitpick. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/3 "2008-02-24T02:13:07Z")
Maybe he just needs a history lesson on _Hillary Clinton_. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/4 "2008-02-24T02:13:31Z")
Who cares? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/5 "2008-02-24T02:15:19Z")
Probably not. You might be the only one who cares. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/6 "2008-02-24T02:18:10Z")
Yea, even by the standard of political nitpicking, this is pretty weak stuff. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/7 "2008-02-24T02:19:21Z")
Maybe he was just trying to be gallant. “Why, I could have sworn Senator Clinton couldn’t be a day over 45!” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/8 "2008-02-24T02:24:51Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Am I the only one who caught this blunder? [/QUOTE] In fact, Obama was about six months old at the time. A double blunder! Oh, the horror! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/9 "2008-02-24T02:29:01Z")
> [@Barack Obama](#): > > you essentially have seen a Cuba that has been isolated, but has not made progress when it comes to the issues of political rights and personal freedoms that are so important to the people of Cuba Well, “essentially” can cover a multitude of sins, but even without relying on it, how much progress did Cuba make in those areas under Fulgencio Batista? _Isolated_ I’ll give you, if you insist. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/10 "2008-02-24T02:33:07Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] In fact, Obama was about six months old at the time. A double blunder! Oh, the horror! [/QUOTE] I wouldn’t quibble on that hairsplitting. Even Obama couldn’t speak at that age. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/11 "2008-02-24T02:35:11Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Nobody seems to have picked up on this. during the last debate during the Cuban relations exchange , Obama said : Now he should know that Hillary Clinton was 12 years old when Castro came to power and even older when John Kennedy (stocked up with 1200 Cuban cigars)initiated the present policy and went to full embargo, travel restrictions and freezing Cuban assets. Am I the only one who caught this blunder? [/QUOTE] alright, just don’t throw him under the bus. it’s enough they’re busting his balls about the plagerism thing… which is irrelevant as far as I’m concerned. You know, Hillary was criticizing Obama about it at the last debate and you can tell her entire attack was written for her. heh. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/12 "2008-02-24T02:44:28Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] Well, “essentially” can cover a multitude of sins, but even without relying on it, how much progress did Cuba make in those areas under Fulgencio Batista? [/QUOTE] Which leads me to what I find extremely amusing: the first flow of Cuban refugees - the ones who are and whose children are the most influential in Floridian (and national) politics these days - were the fat cats under Batista and had little or no interest in what the great mass of Cubans thought about politics. A desire for democracy in Cuba is, in and of itself, a good thing. However, the undercurrent of that (in some) is a desire to get their ill-gotten riches back. Fat chance. If (when! - eventually) Cuba changes its government, it won’t be the people lurking in Florida for the last 45 years who control the new government, it will be the people living in Cuba who are fighting for change. If our government insists that restoring relations is dependent on returning the pillage of robber barons to their heirs, I shall be sorely disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/13 "2008-02-24T02:55:40Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Which leads me to what I find extremely amusing: the first flow of Cuban refugees - the ones who are and whose children are the most influential in Floridian (and national) politics these days - were the fat cats under Batista and had little or no interest in what the great mass of Cubans thought about politics. A desire for democracy in Cuba is, in and of itself, a good thing. However, the undercurrent of that (in some) is a desire to get their ill-gotten riches back. Fat chance. If (when! - eventually) Cuba changes it’s government, it won’t be the people lurking in Florida for the last 45 years who control the new government, it will be the people living in Cuba who are fighting for change. If our government insists that restoring relations is dependent on returning the pillage of robber barons to their heirs, I shall be sorely disappointed. [/QUOTE] I don’t know what you said but I think I agree with you. The Cubans in Florida are shitheads. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/14 "2008-02-24T03:00:11Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] The Cubans in Florida are shitheads. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I know this is hyperbole, but there are many Cubans living here who are fine, fine people. Many in my area came here a long time before Castro was born (their families moved here and settled this area) and there are of course decent folks who have moved here over the years. Yes, some are shitheads, but that is a rather broad statement. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/15 "2008-02-24T03:04:32Z")
Prior to the revolution in Cuba (which actually began in 1956) there was a thriving tourist business, a happy middle and upper class, a healthy sugar export business, and free elections. But there was also terrible poverty, racism, segregation, political corruption and political violence. By early 1952, Batista staged a coup and essentially destroyed the democracy that he had helped to design. But the turmoil had begun long before that. [This PBS website gives a very balanced view.](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/castro/peopleevents/e_precastro.html) Isolation didn’t seem to be an issue before the revolution began, but certainly political rights and freedoms were for many Cubans long before Senator Clinton was born. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/16 "2008-02-24T03:04:40Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Am I the only one who thought it was merely hyperbole? [/QUOTE] Oh, you caught that as well did you? Good for you ! ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/17 "2008-02-24T03:10:28Z")
I actually did notice it at the time but understood that he wasn’t trying to be absloutely literal. It makes me somewhat optimistic that this is as far as people have to reach to find something to criticize Obama for. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/18 "2008-02-24T03:32:48Z")
I noticed, but I didn’t think he needs a history lesson just because he either misspoke or did the math wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/19 "2008-02-24T03:39:45Z")
Yet another foolish pitting from a confirmed [fool](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9444208&postcount=29). ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906/20 "2008-02-24T03:44:27Z")
Maybe Hillary’s youthful looks fooled him. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-needs-history-lesson-on-cuba/438906.md?page=2)