The October Surprise and the November Election
Republicans need to be ready for this, and ready with a response. After all it, was the Reaganites who popularized the phrase “October Surprise” in 1980--when it wasn’t needed. And so now, in 2012, when it might well be needed, they need a plan for a dog-wagging “late hit” in 2012. That is, if something big happens in the next few days, they need to provide the sort of context that Sen. Portman provided on the Iran-negotiations story. And they should start now.