Readers of mine will know that Lincoln Diaz-Balart is one of my favorite people in public life, and one of my favorite people. He is my guest on Q&A.
For almost 20 years, Lincoln Diaz-Balart was a member of Congress (1993-2011). He is a Republican from Miami. It was Ronald Reagan and Jeane Kirkpatrick, really, who persuaded him to leave the Democratic party for the Republican.
Diaz-Balart was born in Cuba. He was four years old when the Communists came to power. His family was lucky to get out. His father was a famous politician and statesman in Cuba. For a time, he was a close friend of Fidel Castro. In fact, Castro married his sister, Mirta.
In America, Lincoln and his brothers have sometimes been called “the Cuban Kennedys.” Mario Diaz-Balart is a member of Congress. Rafael is a businessman. José is a television anchorman.
On Q&A, Lincoln and I talk about Cuba, mainly: the Pope’s visit; Obama’s normalization; the heroic dissidents; succession. Succession? Yes. Who will succeed Raúl as dictator of the island? His son Alejandro? It’s quite likely.
The ex-congressman and I also talk about Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and some other characters. We end with a little GOP 2016. Lincoln is in the position of many South Florida Republicans: He is a longtime friend of both Jeb and Marco. Which can be ticklish.
In any case, it was an honor to have Lincoln Diaz-Balart on this show (here). The name “Lincoln” is a lot to live up to. My friend is keenly aware of this, which is one of the many things to admire about him.