A British view of Florida politics

As I mentioned the other day on Twitter, I will be appearing on national television in the UK next week, talking from Miami about blogs and their impact on the American election this year. I am trying to get details and, as soon as I can, I'll share them here. Not sure whether the broadcast will be live, but if so, it'll be 3:00 pm Monday afternoon Eastern time (9:00 7:00 pm in the UK) -- all I know at the moment is that time, which is when I'm supposed to be in the studio in Miami Beach, and the fact that it's going to air on Sky News in the UK. (Sorry I can't be more specific than that right now -- if I knew more, I'd tell you!) Hopefully you'll be able to see it here in the USA and elsewhere ...

Anyway, while doing research for the interview, I have found it interesting -- instructive, even -- to see how the British view our election. I think the British system is curious at best, but I have no doubt they feel the same about ours (Electoral College? Are you kidding me?). Anyway, even better, Sky has a correspondent in Florida -- Miami, specifically -- who is examining the impact of race and heritage on the presidential election here.

Racism is notoriously widespread in regions away from the traditionally Republican state's major cities, such as the Panhandle in the north.

A seventh-grade school teacher there was recently suspended for writing on a blackboard that Obama's "Change" slogan stood for "Come Help A N***** Get Elected".

How many times do I have to say it? Republicans. Aren't. Funny. Many of them, however, are moronic brownshirt fucks.

Anyway, the article continues:

Miguel Saabedra is president of the Vigilia Mambisa organisation for Cuban exiles which staged a street demonstration in the area of the capital known as Little Havana to show support for John McCain.

He and others at the event repeatedly linked Mr Obama with fundamentalist Islam - a charge that has been levelled against him since the primaries, despite the fact he has been a practising Christian for decades - and accused him of being a closet Communist.

"Obama wants to talk to Castro, he wants to talk to (Venezualan president Hugo) Chavez, he wants to talk to Iran," he told Sky News. "These people don't want to talk to us!

"It's not because he is black, if Condoleezza Rice was running for president, or Colin Powell, that would be good. I support black people. I have good friends who are black."

Yes! It's the classic "I have friends who are black" explanation! You can always count on a racist to bring that one up. Nice going, Mr. Saabedra -- you get a free month's subscription to Stormfront for that talking point!

Another demonstrator outside the Versailles restaurant, a focal point for the Cuban American community, waved a placard at passing motorists with a crudely-drawn picture of Mr Obama wearing what looked like a beard, robes and turban below the word "Evil".

Many passing cars tooted their horns in approval and several slowed down to shout encouragement - although one or two drove past shouting abuse and pro-Obama slogans.

For many Cuban Americans like Laura Vianello, the Democratic party still have not been forgiven for President John F Kennedy's failure to properly back up the Cuban expats who tried to topple the Castro regime in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.

So that's what this is all about? Something that happened nearly half a century ago?! No, the world hasn't changed at all in that time, no, sirree ...

Jeebus. I mean, I empathize with the Cuban-American community, really I do, but holy fuck, get over it already! In many cases, you're generations removed from the Bay of Pigs, and you're following a drastically altered Republican Party today -- indeed, I question whether or not Barry Goldwater, the de facto leader of the GOP back in Kennedy's day, would even recognize his party's current incarnation.

[Vianello] lost three uncles in the invasion, a memorial to which stands prominently in the street in Little Havana.

"Most Cubans here in Miami are Republican by tradition. You could put the Devil up there as a candidate and we would vote for him," she said.

Well, you pretty much did that in 2000 and 2004, Ms. Vianello, and sure enough, you voted for him. And you're going to do it again this year. Heckuva job, Laura. But enjoy President Obama ... check back with me in 2012 and let's see which party has been more responsive to Cuban and Cuban-American interests.

My money's on the Democrats. But then, I'm just a dirty fucking hippie ...

UPDATE (11:10 am 10/27/08): As commenter pseudonymous in NC reminds me, I went the wrong way on the clock adjustment in the UK when I calculated it above. They are on Daylight Time now, which means their clocks went back over the weekend, while we've got a week to go here in the States. So 3pm here actually is 7pm in the UK. Thanks, pseud.