Having decided not to go quietly, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is today apparently hoping against hope that he will one day assume the reins of government in his beloved homeland, the Republic of Haiti.
Aristide is buoyed in his hopes by remarks made by Senator John F. Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. When asked his views concerning Aristide’s ouster from power in Haiti, Senator Kerry opined that President George W. Bush was wrong and that he had misused his power, not only on the Haiti matter, but also in other areas of great import to the safety and security of the United States of America.
As we have previously indicated, electoral contests in the United States of America are profoundly affected by the choices made by any number of American citizens. Since the United States of America is home to peoples hailing from most countries in the world, events taking place far from the U.S. can decisively influence what happens at home. Nowhere is this clearer than it is in Florida, which is home to a significant Cuban population. In a tightly contested race, the Cuban vote can prove decisive for George W. Bush, as he struggles to maintain his control over the presidency.
Interestingly, it is this concern with Florida and its badly needed electoral votes which apparently motivates U.S. policy towards Haitian migrants. It is also, and quite evidently, a major factor in driving U.S. policy towards Cubans. Many observers suggest that there is another and more sinister aspect to the differential treatment afforded Haitians and Cubans. This time around it has to do with matters of race, class, colour and culture, with the Cubans being the winners, and Haitians the clear losers.
At another remove as regards the broader question of ethnicity and the role it might play in the United States, are any number of indications that the Bush team believes that the Hispanic vote is theirs. However, if we are correct in our assumption that the U.S. presidential elections will be hard fought, it only stands to reason that getting out the black vote is going to be of extreme importance to Senator Kerry. This vote can be as important as that of the Hispanics. This brings us back to the question of Aristide and his possible return to office, in the event the Democrats regain the White House.
This might explain why Senator Kerry has come out so forcefully and so emphatically in his opposition to what the Bush administration has done concerning the Haitian situation. Again, assuming that the United States cannot extricate itself from Haiti any time soon, it stands to reason that the Republic’s woes will be but one more trouble spot for whatever regime wins in November.
Our view of the matter at hand regarding Haiti and its woes, is that the Bush administration may have, with Haiti, bitten off more than it can chew. It is also quite clear that one unintended consequence of the Bush administration’s decision to shove Aristide off the political scene in Haiti and send him into exile in Africa, is going to be that of focusing the mind of the African diaspora on the plight of their ancestral continent. Translated onto the American political scene, this may bring with it a renewal of energy and determination on the part of African Americans to have their voices heard and inherent power felt on the U.S. political scene.
As fanciful as it may currently appear, it may not be too much of a stretch to suggest that by alienating and ignoring the views and wishes of CARICOM leaders, President Bush may have cemented his reputation as being a man who is insensitive to the needs, wishes and desires of a politically potent minority. An incumbent regime is not being very wise when it pursues policies which alienate politically potent blocs of voters.
It is interesting to note how many Americans responded when the Bush administration’s first political ads were aired. Some of them sought to project and portray President Bush as the kind of leader America needs in wartime. They did so by trying to link President Bush with the heroics of the firemen who rose to the challenge implicit in the 9/11 tragedy. For his efforts and despite his tremendous campaign war chest, the president’s efforts were met by a barrage of withering criticism. The core complaint was that the Bush re-election advertisements were disrespectful, and in poor taste.
Our prediction and premonition, is that the Bush administration’s decision to snub CARICOM; and shove Aristide off the political scene in Haiti, will backfire, and will galvanise more black Americans to register and vote. In a tight election, where every vote counts, there is the greatest likelihood that African Americans might yet be part of that vanguard which will send George W. Bush back to Crawford Texas. Who knows, Jean Bertrand Aristide might yet serve out the presidential term to which he was called by the Haitian people, in free and fair elections, three years ago.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
