Will President Barack Obama be able to “change” Cuba under its new leadership? And, will he be able to bring this about by simply sitting down and talking with the pair of dictators now confirmed as the new Cuban leaders?

No surprise that Cuba’s National Assembly has made Fidel Castro’s younger brother,Raul, the island nation’s new president.

What is a surprise is who was picked as Cuba’s new Vice-President.

Communist Party hardliner Jose Ramon Machado Ventura–who fought in the Cuban revolution alongside Fidel–has been picked to be Raul’s Dick Cheney.

This would seem to indicate that not too much change should be expected in Cuba anytime soon…especially since Fidel apparently remains head of the all powerful Communist Party there.

Back To Barack

Sen. Obama’s world view is that the U.S. should sit down and talk with its enemies–without pre-condition–in an effort to bring about—all together now–CHANGE!

Well, I’d love to be there for any conversation between a President Obama and Raul Castro or, especially, the new bad-ass veep.

Of course, the three (four if you include Fidel) do share something in common: they all are cult-like figures ; that should ease the conversation somewhat.

The new Cuban leaders, between them, have more than a century of experience in government–a Communist government to be sure–but a government nontheless.

How will that stack up against President Obama? Will his state legislative experience and short stint in the U.S. senate be a match for these revolutionaries who have been on the world stage since before JFK was elected President in 1960?

Keep your fingers crossed and your Cuban cigars nearby.