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"Pressure could come from the younger generation, hooked on the Internet, even blogging in secret," NBC's Andrea Mitchell speculated. She quoted blogger Yoani Sanchez: "My generation is waiting for profound change, above all towards free expression." No, Mitchell was not gauging the mood at an Obama rally. She was referring to Havana, where "life went on, there was little surprise," when Fidel formally surrendered the power he has held since 1959.
CBS' Kelly Cobiella commented on the lack of an "hours long fiery speech," just a letter to Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, explaining that he is too infirm to lead: "The job of president requires more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer." The resignation made permanent Castro's 18-month-old provisional handover to his younger brother Raul. Cobiella offered a thumbnail sketch of Raul: "Rebel fighter, brutal Defense Minister purging Fidel's political enemies, later a masterful manager and economic reformer." While ABC's Jeffrey Kofman (embargoed link) foresaw "significant reforms" under Raul including liberalization of trade his colleague Jonathan Karl (no link) heard no reciprocity from the State Department. It called Raul Fidel Lite and insisted that "the trade embargo still stands; so does the ban on US citizens traveling to Cuba."
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