What does "October Surprise" mean? Perhaps you are familiar with the original "October Surprise" in 1980? It was the plan executed by those who backed the Reagan campaign who set out to unseat Jimmy Carter by making a deal with the Iranians (through the CIA) to continue to hold American hostages beyond the 1980 November elections.

Learn more about the original October Surprise here, and there are several books about these events in history here.

Also have a look at:

• The Consortium
• Will the 2004 Election Be Called Off? Why Three Out of Four Experts Predict a Terrorist Attack by November.

The new October Surprise Blog tracks and comments on articles about current and past stunts like the October Surprise.