All Your October Surprises Are Belong To Us

by Chris Bowers, Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 05:23:36 PM EST

With the latest news, I think it is pretty clear that we won the October surprise battle. Granted, there are still a few days until the election, but it seems like this week all of the "October Surprises" were ours: This week, we own them.




Tags: Media (all tags)

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keep your head (none / 0)

Everyone be sure to keep your head these last 5 days.  It's probably best to ignore polls from now on in if you can (I know, I know, it's impossible), but be especially critical of everything you see and hear.  Rove's "inevitability" play may have failed, but he's going to do everything he can (e.g., leaking lots of fake "internal" poll results to reporters who dutifully suck up and report their flavor uncritically) to try to demoralize us.  He wants voters not to vote, and he wants volunteers not to volunteer.  
This is close enough to win, and it's close enough to lose.  And whether we win or lose depends a lot more on us than on anything JK, GWB or anyone else says or does.  So go out there and make it happen.
by WSW on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 05:34:58 PM EST

Re: keep your head - BUT (none / 0)

Agree in the main,

but remember that a Terror Alert raises Bush for 3 days before sanity returns (according to some university study) - we aren't that close yet - Sat/Sun are the days to watch....

by fatbear on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 05:43:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

What you say?! (none / 0)

I think that they've hit the button a few too many times for it to have much effect on the election. Especially since it's not going to be much of a surprise.
by ploeg on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 06:14:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What you say?! (none / 0)

I agree with ploeg.  And if they hadn't cried wolf so many times before, it might actually make for a real ace in the hole.  Then again, if they hadn't politicized this issue like everything else, they wouldn't be who they are.  
by Haggai on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 06:17:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Another potential snafu (none / 0)

is the "terror video"  Drudge is trying to hype.  Urk.  

See JMM/TPM's notes on this.

by Carol on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 05:38:23 PM EST

Re: Another potential snafu (none / 0)

ABC apparently ran this:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041028/pl_afp/us_attacks_qaeda_041028233112

by stevecar on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 08:42:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

did we have help with the October surprises? (none / 0)

You never, NEVER piss off The Company.

The CIA knows where all the bodies are buried, and they're gonna drop the dime on you the week before the election.

This dish is being served ice-cold.

by quijano on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 05:56:32 PM EST

The best political ad I've seen this year (none / 0)

The Independent Voters of America have come out strong against Bush.

"Those who have died in Iraq can't vote.  You can."

The Independent Voters of America

by triplay543 on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 05:56:41 PM EST

No rain here! (none / 0)

I guess you haven't seen the pictures of explosives from an embedded reporter and the IAEA seals which show the stuff was still there when our troops got there.
by CA Pol Junkie on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 06:44:59 PM EST

New Hampshire, Maine (none / 0)

The regional pride and euphoria inspired by the Red Sox win might actually help ever-so-slightly in New Hampshire and the 2nd CD of Maine.  Granted, Kerry likely already has those wrapped up, but a little more won't hurt a bit.
by leftish on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 07:16:39 PM EST

Pre-emptive Strike Required (none / 0)

Somebody, but not John Kerry, needs to call Bush/Cheney out on the terror alert before it is even given.  They need to strike right at the heart of these "terror alerts" and the way the timing matches declines in Bush's poll numbers.  Bush/Cheney have definitely used these terror alerts for political purposes and somebody, but not John Kerry, needs to say that.

Given the ad they ran, they are wide open for a Candidate Who Cries Wolf attack.

by James Earl on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 07:23:33 PM EST

you forgot their surprise - OIL (none / 0)

the price of oil is tanking, thanks to a likely doctored inventories report showing 2X the consensus in reserve.

If it doesn't come up tomorrow, we could all be toast on tuesday.

Anyone wanna buy some?  Actually, its a bargain right now.  When the reserve report is corrected (to be more in line with distillates) you'll see oil spike again.

by flavorflav12 on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 07:58:43 PM EST

Doctored Ad (none / 0)

The best part of the doctored ad was it has Bush's voice saying "I'm George Bush, and I approve this message." Unless, of course, it becomes a political liablity, in which case, I will blame someone else. Hopefully, John Kerry.

I think the irony of the title "Whatever it takes" is just too delicious. They have taken it down on their web site with the message "There is something wrong ....." It just gets better and better.

A President in a league of his own, the Bush League!
by Tuba Les on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 08:05:06 PM EST

Dear Dubya: (none / 0)

You have no chance to survive, make your time.
by RT on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 08:52:22 PM EST

yes please! (none / 0)

I've been reading for a while. But I just registered so I could say "great post".
A crushing defeat for Bush on Tuesday - and our long national nightmare is over.
by warp resident on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 10:09:28 PM EST

Found in my mailbox from NYT (none / 0)

In case you missed any of these stories, here are the 10 Most Read Articles on NYTimes.com over the last two weeks (as of 11 a.m. ET, Oct. 27).

1. Without a Doubt
By RON SUSKIND, Published Oct. 17

2. Huge Cache of Explosives Vanished From Site in Iraq
By JAMES GLANZ, WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER, Published Oct. 25

3. Editorial: John Kerry for President
Published Oct. 17

4. The O'Reilly Factor for Lesbians
By FRANK RICH, Published Oct. 24

5. The Strategy to Secure Iraq Did Not Foresee a 2nd War
By MICHAEL R. GORDON, Published Oct. 19

6. Poll Shows Tie; Concerns Cited on Both Rivals
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JANET ELDER, Published Oct. 19

7. After Terror, a Secret Rewriting of Military Law
By TIM GOLDEN, Published Oct. 24

8. Op-Ed: Checking the Facts, in Advance
By PAUL KRUGMAN, Published Oct. 12

9. Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State
By MICHAEL MOSS, Published Oct. 23

10. Growing Up With Mom and Mom
By SUSAN DOMINUS, Published Oct. 24

by warp resident on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 10:12:57 PM EST

Damning info on Bush's desire for war (none / 0)

Well, the October surprises just keep coming and coming. Democrats.com has a link to a story written by Rus Baker, based on his interviews with Mickey Herskowitz -- a Houston based journalist who was the original ghost writer for Bush's biography A Charge to Keep.

Among its revelations:
"George W. Bush's beliefs on Iraq were based in part on a notion dating back to the Reagan White House - ascribed in part to now-vice president Dick Cheney, Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee under Reagan. "Start a small war. Pick a country where there is justification you can jump on, go ahead and invade."

Link to this and let's give it some legs.

by emhansen on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 10:26:50 PM EST


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