October Surprise

By Riza
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    Timeline

  • 1880: The Forged Letter

    1880: The Forged Letter
    The key political figure is James A. Garfield who is a republican. Democrats spread copies of the forged letter, affirming it was "authentic". Overall effecting the Election Outcome as the letter damaged Garfield's reputation in key states like California however he still won.
  • 1940: FDR and the Black Vote

    1940: FDR and the Black Vote
    The Key Political Actors were Franklin D. Roosevelt who was a democrat and Wendell Wilkie who was a republican. The media coverage reported on the altercation involving FDR's staffer, Stephen Early.
    Overall affecting election as FDR faced backlash, however he still won a large portion of the Black vote and was president
  • 1972: Peace Announcement

    1972: Peace Announcement
    The key political figures were Richard Nixon who was a republican and Henry Kissinger who was a National Security Advisor. The media covered Kissinger's announcement and it received a large coverage as a "major diplomatic breakthrough". Positively affecting and contributing to Nixon's victory, even with the ongoing wars.
  • 1980: Iran Hostage Crisis

    1980: Iran Hostage Crisis
    The key political figures's were Ronald Reagan who was a republican and Jimmy Carter who was a democrat.
    The Media wondered about Carter’s potential announcement of the hostage release.
    However still Reagan won and the whole hostage situation favored Reagan, as the attempt didn't work.
  • 1992: Iran Indictment

    1992: Iran Indictment
    The key political figures at the time were George H.W. Bush who was a republican and Bill Clinton who was a democrat.
    The media covered Weinberger’s indictment as it was widely reported, linking Bush to the scandal.
    Overall contributing to Bush loosing and making Clinton win.
  • 2000: Bush's DUI

    2000: Bush's DUI
    Key political figures such as George W. Bush who is a republican and Al Gore who was a Democrat.
    The media covered the DUI arrest witch was reported by Fox News, overall impacting Bush’s image. Although Gore won the popular vote in 2000, he famously lost the election.
  • 2016: FBI Reopens Clinton Email Probe

    2016: FBI Reopens Clinton Email Probe
    The key political figures were Hillary Clinton who was a democrat and Donald Trump a republican.
    A Major news outlets covered on James Comey's announcement, creating a lot of media buzz. Overall the investigation affected Clinton’s campaign, witch helped her lose to trump in the 2016 election.