Americans Split on Relations With Cuba
May 13 -- Americans divide sharply on relations with Cuba, presenting a contentious backdrop to Jimmy Carter's visit to the communist island.
The public splits evenly in a new ABCNEWS poll on whether the United States should establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, 47 percent to 45 percent; whether to end the trade embargo, 44 percent to 48 percent; and whether to end the travel embargo, 49 percent to 45 percent.
Views on diplomatic and trade relations are essentially unchanged from two years ago. Support for ending travel restrictions, which had spiked to 58 percent during the Elian Gonzalez affair two years ago, has subsided to its previous level.
Carter's private visit, at Fidel Castro's invitation, is the first by a sitting or former president since Castro took power in 1959 — indeed the first since Calvin Coolidge's in 1928. (Coolidge's only other trip abroad was his honeymoon to Montreal.)
Carter, a critic of the U.S embargo, sought to improve relations with Cuba during his term in office; he said Monday he seeks "to try to identify some points in common and some areas of cooperation."
The Bush administration, which supports the embargo against Cuba, has said it hopes Carter's visit focuses on human rights.
Many Like Travel Prospects
In the new poll, most appealing to some groups is the prospect of ending travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba — it's supported by 60 percent of upper-income Americans, 58 percent of Northeasterners, 56 percent of people who've been to college, 56 percent of nonwhites and 55 percent of Democrats.
Republicans and lower-income adults (an unusual pairing) are much more skeptical of normalizing travel, trade or diplomatic links.
Men are more apt than women to support establishing relations and ending the embargoes; women are a bit more likely not to have an opinion.
Methodology
This ABCNEWS survey was conducted by telephone May 8-12 among a random national sample of 1,028 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were done by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.
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