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President Obama Will Visit Cuba in Historic Trip Next Month, Sources Say

President Obama is planning a trip to Cuba some time next month, marking the first time in more than 80 years a sitting U.S. president will visit the country, according to sources with knowledge of the plan.

A National Security Council official plans to make the announcement tomorrow at the White House briefing.

The trip is planned for March 21-22 before the president flies to Argentina.

The move comes roughly 15 months following the president's pledge with Raul Castro to reopen diplomatic channels following a prisoner exchange and the humanitarian release of U.S. contractor Alan Gross in December 2014.

Since the announcement, the two countries have had a series of diplomatic talks, leading to the reopening of embassies last summer and the recent deal restoring commercial air traffic.

The last and only sitting U.S. president to visit the island nation only 90 miles south of the Florida keys was Calvin Coolidge, in 1928, to address the Sixth Annual International Conference of American States in Havana.

He met with Cuba's President Gerardo Machado, who was in office from 1925 to 1933, until he was forced into exile.

President Jimmy Carter traveled to Cuba in 2002, 20 years after leaving office, at the invitation of President Fidel Castro.

Carter also made a trip in 2011.

I must say, I did not expect to see normalized relations (or at least mostly there) anytime soon, but here we are.

In before the general poutrage that occurs every time President Obama does something.

I don't really see how normalizing relationships with Cuba can be anything but a good thing for the USA.

Yeah, seriously, this is a good thing. Making nice with people in other countries was one of the strengths of Obama's initial years, after the giant dump Bush took on foreign affairs. Good to see him working on things he's good at. Hopefully this'll make things good with Cuba.

Soon, we can go back to the golden days of per-Castro with a private Resort and Casino for every beach!

Think I can send him some cash to bring me some cigars?

 Sasori wrote:
I don't really see how normalizing relationships with Cuba can be anything but a good thing for the USA.

Yeah, I'm relatively on board with this. We've seen that cutting them off hasn't changed anything. So lets change the direction. An influx of American goods and trade will probably help out more then not.

The best method for destroying communism is letting the populace get some access to American green.

Bu...but....but....BUT!

OBAMA DID A THING!

GRAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Seriously though, this is a nice thing all around. Good for economics, foreign relations and humanitarian issues.

It is kind of ridiculous that the US maintains diplomatic relations with China, Laos, and Vietnam, but not Cuba.

I can't wait to hear Rubio tell us what a terrible idea this is!

 Easy E wrote:
I can't wait to hear Rubio tell us what a terrible idea this is!

The software team is working on the update now, I'm sure it won't be much longer

@Dogma... I can understand China, but I agree that it's ridiculous that we've maintained relations with Laos and Vietnam (who are about as important globally as cuba has been), but had completely cut off someone literally on our doorstep.


Also... I could care less about a cigar embargo. Having had a few legitimate Cuban cigars, the Dominicans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans are all doing better work right now, so I'll just keep smoking the better stuff that I can actually buy, than dream of mediocre stuff that I can't (legally).

I used to work in a cigar shop, the main thing about Cuban cigars is that they are forbidden fruit. Much of the appeal is that you can't get them in the US and you aren't supposed to have them. Of course they are legal everywhere else so if someone really wants them they aren't impossible to get.

 Ahtman wrote:
I used to work in a cigar shop, the main thing about Cuban cigars is that they are forbidden fruit. Much of the appeal is that you can't get them in the US and you aren't supposed to have them. Of course they are legal everywhere else so if someone really wants them they aren't impossible to get.

I've read that at this point Dominican ones are better in quality. I'm not a cigar aficionado, can you speak to that?

 Ouze wrote:
I'm not a cigar aficionado, can you speak to that?

Not really as I don't know if you are a cigar aficionado or not. You might be trying to pull a fast one.

 Ouze wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:
I used to work in a cigar shop, the main thing about Cuban cigars is that they are forbidden fruit. Much of the appeal is that you can't get them in the US and you aren't supposed to have them. Of course they are legal everywhere else so if someone really wants them they aren't impossible to get.

I've read that at this point Dominican ones are better in quality. I'm not a cigar aficionado, can you speak to that?

I can...

The Dominicans and high-end Houndurans are the best imo.

I've had Cubans and they're "okay".

As Ahtman says, they're viewed as the forbidden fruit/taboo and if it weren't illegal, I'd imagine it'd be a "lower shelf" brand.

 Ahtman wrote:

 Ouze wrote:
I'm not a cigar aficionado, can you speak to that?

Not really as I don't know if you are a cigar aficionado or not. You might be trying to pull a fast one.

Oh, you.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

@Dogma... I can understand China, but I agree that it's ridiculous that we've maintained relations with Laos and Vietnam (who are about as important globally as cuba has been), but had completely cut off someone literally on our doorstep.

I think breaking off diplomatic relations is always bad for the US. The Cold War is over, the US and the West won; there is nothing to lose by talking.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

Also... I could care less about a cigar embargo. Having had a few legitimate Cuban cigars, the Dominicans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans are all doing better work right now, so I'll just keep smoking the better stuff that I can actually buy, than dream of mediocre stuff that I can't (legally).

Oh man, Nicaragua...that is pretty much the textbook case for the US fething with South America.

 dogma wrote:

Oh man, Nicaragua...that is pretty much the textbook case for the US fething with South America.

That may be, but my favorite brand (currently) is predominately of Nicaraguan tobacco, so obviously *something* is going right down there

Also, just looked up, the by far and away best cigar I've ever smoked (quality/flavor wise... also most expensive price-wise) is from Nicaragua (Man O War, Armada). But as always, take with a grain of salt, because I personally like Mid-Full to Full flavor cigars, and the Armada is definitely full bodied. As well flavor and enjoyability of flavor is purely subjective.


EDIT: I did just think this up though.... opening more relations with Cuba could have interesting impacts in the Baseball world as well... We have had a small number of Cuban escapees (maybe they were let out?) come to the US for baseball, and have carried something of a premium price on them... if the market completely opens up, that may affect the "value" of Cuban born players in the short term.

 Easy E wrote:
I can't wait to hear Rubio tell us what a terrible idea this is!

He already did.

Anyway, when they mentioned this on the radio this morning, they said one of the reasons why Obama is doing this is to build up more momentum in improving US/Cuba relations, thus making it even harder to "turn the ship around" should a Republican win the White House. You know, all of that "On Day One" stuff they go on about (just how many hours do they think is in a day for them to accomplish all of what they claim they'll do?).

 Tannhauser42 wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
I can't wait to hear Rubio tell us what a terrible idea this is!

He already did.

Anyway, when they mentioned this on the radio this morning, they said one of the reasons why Obama is doing this is to build up more momentum in improving US/Cuba relations, thus making it even harder to "turn the ship around" should a Republican win the White House. You know, all of that "On Day One" stuff they go on about (just how many hours do they think is in a day for them to accomplish all of what they claim they'll do?).

Since I'm sure much of the President's "Day One" in office is spent in briefings... I wonder if, like the military (he is the Commander in Chief afterall), he's held in the briefing room until they are given a safety briefing?? Also... I'd hate to see his hand receipt, or the details required to do a "hand receipt layout" of the White House

Most of their first couple of briefings are a clipshow recapping the first couple of seasons of SG-1

When do they get to open the Resolute Desk and read the Book of Secrets?

I'm betting most of day one for most presidents is spent huddled in a corner in a fetal position after their initial top secret briefing wondering what in the feth they have gotten themselves into. That and opening up the files on ufos.

My day one priority as POTUS would be checking out area 51, and seeing if there's any stuff on Roswell, so I definitely agree with that. I don't really believe in extraterrestrials, but that's not the same as, you know, knowing one way or the other.

 Ouze wrote:
My day one priority as POTUS would be checking out area 51, and seeing if there's any stuff on Roswell, so I definitely agree with that. I don't really believe in extraterrestrials, but that's not the same as, you know, knowing one way or the other.

I would pass an executive order making the powdered wig part of government attire again

Those guys in the 1700s were onto something

It works for the UK Justice System!

 dogma wrote:
It is kind of ridiculous that the US maintains diplomatic relations with China, Laos, and Vietnam, but not Cuba.

It's a pride thing. The deal in 1963 meant that the USA didn't get its way on an island it considers entirely within their influence sphere. Vietnam was a greater material loss, but South East Asia was never truly in the American sphere.

There is also a lot of old money men that lost out when Castro took over, they haven't forgiven and have long term influence on US policymaking. Wall St mandarins never had stocks in Saigon of any significance, but there was a lot of money passing through Havana. Cuba fell overnight and powerful people who don't like to lose money, lost money. Castro learned the lesson of 1871 as Lenin before him did, but there was a price for seizing financial control. Especially somewhere regarded as a clear area for big money which Russia never was.

Therefore Obama had to wait until he no longer had to give a rodent gak about Wall St's opinions. It says something about the man that I actually like, he has stuck the finger to the established system in his second term and largely chosen moral causes with which to do it. Mixed successes though.

Obama is doing the right thing, but not necessarily for the right reason. The timing is suspicious, it is clearly a legacy move of his in his eighth year of office. So he will want a conclusion to go down in the history books. Going to Cuba is a photo-op, cutting a deal with Cuba is the legacy. Obama wants his legacy bad and might therefore not cut the best deal. I will wait and see, hard opposition will come on this one, and it will be interesting to see from where.