On Cuba: UT Austin Student Submits Excellent Question for CNN Presidential Debates

A UT Austin/LBJ School student of Economics Professor James K. Galbraith has submitted the following question to CNN for the CNN/Univision debates on Thursday between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

It's perfect -- and may push these candidates beyond their risk-averse and tepid reactions to the news that Fidel Castro's last term as Cuba's President will come to an end on February 24th:

"The United States has maintained an embargo against Cuba since 1961, separating families, causing personal hardship, abrogating the constitutional right of U.S. citizens to travel freely -- and all with absolutely no political effect on Cuba.

Do you agree that, as a policy, the embargo has failed? And if so, what steps will you take to end it?"

The student has take the route of anonymity in this case -- but note to Wolf Blitzer, this is the right question to pose.

CNN should make sure this one is on the docket.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[deminmo]

On CNN this afternoon Hillary said some
fundamental changes will have to take place
in the government of Cuba to change the way
the US will respond. Another reporter said it
will take freeing prisoners. Is this sorta
the "pot calling the kettle black?"

[Dandy12]

The greatest way to influence Cuba is by opening it up. The more American dollars circulating on the island, the more influence we have. Otherwise, it's back to the Cold War, Bay of Pigs type paranoia. Enough is enough!

[TuffPosh]

It's not such a good question because it assumes "facts" that are actually open to interpretation. And, no one can predict what would have happened if there had not been an embargo; without such an embargo Cuba could have become a democracy, or it could have felt free to meddle in many more ways than it did. No one can say for certain.

As for CNN asking real questions, apparently you haven't been watching their previous "debates". Here are some issues with their past efforts:

youtube.com/watch?v=nIbDAVQMKGM
youtube.com/watch?v=wm0uWz2BS9M
youtube.com/watch?v=TpqKogu9bzA

Here's a good question they didn't ask, which has since gone on to get over 48,000 views:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1KxDhesWutc

And, here's a proposal for a new kind of debate that would cut CNN and other gatekeepers out of the equation:

http://nomoreblather.com/policy-debates