Back in 1972, the October Surprise was officially introduced to politics in the United States when Henry Kissinger announced, “We believe peace is at hand,” just twelve days before Election Day. That well-timed proclamation about the end of the Vietnam War solidified Richard Nixon’s victory over George McGovern.
Future surprises would include the implication of Ronald Reagan’s former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger in the ’92 Bush vs. Clinton race, the late breaking news of George W. Bush’s drunk driving arrest before the ’00 Bush vs. Gore race and the release of Mitt Romney’s infamous 47% of Americans remarks (technically a September surprise) and are all examples of the political strategy now fully expected by the electorate and punditry.
Something at least as damaging as the October Surprise has also taken root in today’s politics. Over the last several cycles, a fair amount of information has been under-reported by mainstream media outlets or deliberately withheld by candidates from the voters. – READ MORE
