Good. It’s about time.
'Bout damn time!
This may be the one and only Obama policy with which I agree.
Damn. Now we (Canuks) will have to share the beautiful beaches with the yanks. And your increased demand will drive up the price of good cigars.
I’ve never been, but I know many that have.
One big change - is now the Canadians and the Europeans will have to get used to sharing the beaches and the resorts with Americans! 
This stance that the U.S. has had with Cuba all these years, with all due respect, just seemed odd.
As John Kerry said, relations with Vietnam, started on the road to normalcy over 25 years ago. You have to start somewhere.
Good. It’s about time.
My thoughts exactly. It’s amazing how long a relatively small population was able to direct US policy on this issue.
~Matt
Yep. I agree with President Obama on this issue, have never understood why it took so long.
Spot
Yep. I agree with President Obama on this issue, have never understood why it took so long.
Spot
Stubbornness. Nothing else.
It is about time. Curious to see what this does to the cigar industry. There are a number of Dominican and Honduran cigars that can give Cubans serious competition in quality. But, the “mystique” of the Cubans will trump those sales. I have a feeling the market will be flooded with cheap, low-quality Cubans that stupid American will lap up.
Don’t get me wrong - you really cannot beat a good Cuban. Their soil and moisture levels simply cannot be replicated, even by seeds “stolen” from Cuba and grown in Hondurus and DR. But, a low-quality Cuban is still a low-quality cigar, regardless of its origin.
Yep. I agree with President Obama on this issue, have never understood why it took so long.
Spot
Stubbornness. Nothing else.
I’m not sure that is entirely true. There are a lot of Cubans/Cuban-decendants in the US who fought vociferously against this. I understand the opposition. I don’t agree with it, but, I understand it.
Yep. I agree with President Obama on this issue, have never understood why it took so long.
Spot
Stubbornness. Nothing else.
I think it had far more to do with not pissing off Cuban-American voters in Florida, which is increasingly a must win state in presidential elections, than anything else.
Spot
"Damn. Now we (Canuks) will have to share the beautiful beaches with the yanks. And your increased demand will drive up the price of good cigars. "
As someone who has been to Cuba several times I was thinking the same thing. The cost of resort packages are going way up. I’d better book my March Cuba winter vacation now.
I’m glad that we’ve seen Cuba the way it was. Once the Americans go in and there’s a McDonald’s on every beach its just not going to be the same place. But it was inevitable that normalized relations between Cuba and the USA would happen sometime. Its actually surprising that it has taken so long.
Yep. I agree with President Obama on this issue, have never understood why it took so long.
Spot
Stubbornness. Nothing else.
I think it had far more to do with not pissing off Cuban-American voters in Florida, which is increasingly a must win state in presidential elections, than anything else.
Spot
I think you’re right. But I think that this stance has hurt the very objectives those people wanted in the first place. The rest of the Soviet Union influenced dictatorships were exposed to the west and went through changes in the 80’s and 90’s. By remaining isolated I think it actually helped Castro stay in power.
And since Europe has opened relations with Cuba, the US stance was just silly.
I see a bunch of car shows drooling right about now.
Yep. I agree with President Obama on this issue, have never understood why it took so long.
Spot
Stubbornness. Nothing else.
I think it had far more to do with not pissing off Cuban-American voters in Florida, which is increasingly a must win state in presidential elections, than anything else.
Spot
That can’t be. I’m sure that Rubio’s instant negative response has nothing to do with Cuban-American voters in Florida.
You’re probably right but I wanted to post this anyway…
re cigar industry, I wonder if lifting the embargo and opening the cigar market to a much larger pool will result in the degradation of the quality? Greater demand requires greater production and quality could suffer as a consequence. OR if demand will become much greater, supply will stay the same and price will sky rocket.
OR if demand will become much greater, supply will stay the same and price will sky rocket.
.
I’m buying into the conspiracy that Obama has a couple of pre 1959 cars and is in need of parts, Cuba is a candy store for old US made cars. Makes perfect sense.
It is long overdue. South Florida needs to get over itself.
re cigar industry, I wonder if lifting the embargo and opening the cigar market to a much larger pool will result in the degradation of the quality? Greater demand requires greater production and quality could suffer as a consequence. OR if demand will become much greater, supply will stay the same and price will sky rocket.
Forget the cigars, there’s a goldmine in old cars in Cuba.