Campaign 2016 - October Surprises (Round #1)

The term "October Surprise" refers to anything shocking and startling about an opponent that can be used against them to sway voters in the final weeks before November's voting. It's October again!

It is Sunday, October 9, 2016. It is time for the Democrats and the Republicans to haul out their shocking and startling surprises about each other's candidates to sway the voters to vote for their candidates.

Round #1 goes to the Democrats with the release of a shocking and startling vulgar video featuring Republican Donald J. Trump's sexual boasting from 2005 (published and released by The Washington Post's editors.)

It seems no coincidence that this "October Surprise" came just before the second of three "debates" between the two leading candidates for the presidency.

What will Round #2 be? Do the Republicans have an "October Surprise" of their own that can be as shocking and startling about Democrat Hillary R. Clinton as to sway voters to vote for Republican candidates?

Certainly, looking at the same years going back to 2005, a close scrutiny of former First Lady Clinton might have revealed something with equal potential to shock and startle voters, many of whom are already disturbed by the tactics and habits of both leading candidates.

Mrs. Clinton's purposeful improper handling of some of America's most sensitive secrets, deemed only "careless" and ill-informed" by the director of The Federal Bureau of Investigation, will have been a Republican starting point.

It seems evident that with only 30 days remaining after tonight's second face-off between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton, American voters should no longer be surprised that the month of October in election years will feature one or more "October Surprises."

In a haiku here on HubPages: http://hubpages.com/literature/A-Haiku-Leadership (viewed nearly 900 times so far) you will find my personal thoughts on the subject of leadership. I hope you will consider them as you vote for your leaders.

We have all had, at one time or another, men and women with serious personal failings who nonetheless were effective leaders, as well as men and women of admirable personal qualities who were lacking in needed leadership qualities.

Voters have chosen such men and women in the past, both to their chagrin as well as to their delight. Ultimately, all else being equal, the voters made those choices.

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© 2016 Demas W. Jasper All rights reserved.