I think you are right, Motley, that Bill was looking for some political advantage (with Florida Cubans) while trying to appease, at considerable cost, those people who didn't want a border open to Cuban immigrants either economically, politically, or otherwise motivated. That is just what Obama accomplished, the normalization of immigration laws, by normalizing relations with Cuba.  I think it was a smart move that a lot of people benefit from, and a move that protects America's borders.