I think it's more along the lines of stabilizing the relationship with a communist government that is less than a hundred miles from our border, before Russia can entertain them about continuing to be our enemy. Plus I think Raul is not as hardlined as his brother was and is out to make his country more profitable instead of living in the shadows of the US with the continuing "you communist, me democratic" caveman enemy thinking.

Sugar Cane farmers in Louisiana are not too happy about opening relations with Cuba, in the past twenty years agriculture has drifted from Rice fields to Sugarcane fields down here.