Dante Scala is a professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire. He is a frequent guest on New Hampshire now and is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on politics in the state. On this occasion, Professor Scala analyzes the effects of President Obama’s recent opening of relations with the Cuban government of Raul and Fidel Castro. The professor related that his students were born after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Communism. Since they have no background or context, his UNH scholars don’t see the importance of this shift in foreign policy.
There is a split within the Republican party and even among the Cuban-American community over the Cuban question.
On one side of the divide is Senator Marco Rubio who is of Cuban-American descent and represents Florida. He has questioned how this deal was made and questions whether we should deal with Cuba due to its record of human rights violations. He has attacked Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky for coming out in support of the president’s policy change. These two young senators will be serious contenders for the Republican Party’s nomination for president.
Paul favors using the free market to open up the society in communist Cuba. Professor Scala sees that there will be a titanic struggle over foreign policy within the Republican Party. He points out that many Republicans have called for a more muscular approach to foreign policy than the Obama administration. Rand Paul tends to take a more isolationist, libertarian approach like his father, Texas Representative and frequent presidential candidate, Ron Paul. We will see how this will play out with many Republicans want to be the party of national security and many pro-Israel Republicans. Senator Rubio has tried to show how Rand Paul approach to foreign policy is too similar to Obama’s quasi-isolationism. Prof. Scala believe that many of the Republican candidates will try to gang up on Senator Paul.
Another player in this struggle would be a third young, ambitious senator, Ted Cruz of Texas. So, Professor Scala believes that the three young senators will be fighting for the support of a small part of the Republican party. Senators Rubio, Paul, and Cruz will cancel each other out. For this reason, Scala believes that the ultimate winner will be one of the Republican governors, such as Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, and Ohio’s John Kasich. The professor is even looking at Jeb Bush’s candidacy more seriously now. Governor Bush would have an edge in fundraising. These governors will need to demonstrate strength based on their executive background and make a connection with the needs of middle class and working class Americans. The candidate who does that will probably take the prize.
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