# Obama....is the well too poisoned for an October Surprise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 31, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507 "2008-10-31T22:45:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/1 "2008-10-31T22:45:34Z")
Was reading [this](http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/31/october.surprise/index.html) article on CNN and it got me to thinking about the last paragraph: > [@](#): > > “If something in his background that was totally unknown and very suspect came out immediately, I think it would hurt him,” Devine said. But really, after all the dippy shit that has been thrown at Obama, isn’t it too late for such a revelation? Would it even be believed at this stage in the game? I don’t expect that McCain et al actually HAVE such a revelation in it’s bag of tricks at this point but even if they do would it matter? -XT ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/2 "2008-10-31T22:51:03Z")
At this point it would have to be something explosive and undeniable: He pulls out a pistol and shoots somebody on camera, or something equally extreme. With only four days left there’s not enough time for anything else to have much traction. It takes a while for news stories to build and McCain doesn’t have any time left. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/3 "2008-10-31T22:51:28Z")
It’s no dice. Bush tried the Surprise–a raid into Syria, & the Pakistan missile strike. Nobody cared, in the US. Nobody’s scared by it, anymore. I wonder if the US will change its rules about the World Court, post-election. Somebody I know will be visiting the Hague. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/4 "2008-10-31T23:00:30Z")
Not enough time to get any traction. The first time I heard about Wright was after it broke over a weekend and even then it was already more than 2 weeks before someone in Clintons camp did anything about it. Monday morning everything will be about final polling and their weekend endeavors. ZZZZZZZZ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/5 "2008-10-31T23:07:03Z")
A 527 has already said they are going to launch a Rev. Wright ad blitz over the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/6 "2008-10-31T23:16:12Z")
Is there anyone who doesn’t already know about Wright and already have decided exactly how much they care about it? Isn’t an ad like that just a waste of money at this point? Do they really think they’re going to restart that conversation at this late date? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/7 "2008-10-31T23:19:29Z")
Even if McCain has proof that Obama’s a Cylon, my vote’s already in the box. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/8 "2008-10-31T23:39:20Z")
Turning things around, even a "live boy/dead girl? scenario wouldn’t stop the “base” from voting for McCain… ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/9 "2008-10-31T23:44:44Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Is there anyone who doesn’t already know about Wright and already have decided exactly how much they care about it? Isn’t an ad like that just a waste of money at this point? Do they really think they’re going to restart that conversation at this late date? There’s an uncharacteristically high amount of question in that post Dio. Are you worried about a last minute “God Damn America” ad blitzing the airways? I am a little. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/10 "2008-10-31T23:45:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A 527 has already said they are going to launch a Rev. Wright ad blitz over the weekend. I saw that here during the news tonight. The tagline was “Too radical. Too risky.” Pretty meh if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/11 "2008-11-01T00:03:05Z")
At this point, I’d have to say the chances of a successful October surprise are hampered by October being pretty much over. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/12 "2008-11-01T00:20:33Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I don’t expect that McCain et al actually HAVE such a revelation in it’s bag of tricks at this point but even if they do would it matter? If they had any more cards to show, they would have shown them before early voting started in swing states. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/13 "2008-11-01T01:43:49Z")
Here on the left coast, we only have about 5 hours of October remaining. On the other coast, it’s 2. I’d say the time for an October surprise has come and gone. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/14 "2008-11-01T01:47:49Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A 527 has already said they are going to launch a Rev. Wright ad blitz over the weekend. That’s amazingly stupid. People generally don’t get news on the weekend. That’s why everybody times bad news for Friday afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/15 "2008-11-01T01:50:53Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > The tagline was “Too radical. Too risky.” Pretty meh if you ask me. Scared the crap out of me. No way am I going to vote for someone who’s such a … maverick :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/16 "2008-11-01T02:03:38Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > Turning things around, even a "live boy/dead girl? scenario wouldn’t stop the “base” from voting for McCain… especially since the base is mostly voting for Palin with McCain as an unpleasent afterthought. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/17 "2008-11-01T02:15:43Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I saw that here during the news tonight. The tagline was “Too radical. Too risky.” Pretty meh if you ask me. If McCain thinks Obama is too radical and too risky, why is he running an ad in which Obama praises McCain’s leadership on global warming? One would think that McCain would NOT want the kind words of a risky radical. (You know, guilt by association and all that.) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/18 "2008-11-01T02:31:58Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > If McCain thinks Obama is too radical and too risky, why is he running an ad in which Obama praises McCain’s leadership on global warming? One would think that McCain would NOT want the kind words of a risky radical. (You know, guilt by association and all that.) Perfect! Obama runs an ad quoting McCain and Palin talking about Obama’s associates: “Do you trust a man who hangs out… who SHARES A STAGE (cut to scenes of the debates) with RADICALS?” ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/19 "2008-11-01T02:57:00Z")
Honestly, at this point, let’s say a video surfaced showing one of the following: Obama fucking a girl scout when she tried to sell him cookies. Obama emplacing a bomb at a federal facility. Obama doing needle drugs. Obama palling around with Osama bin Laden. I’d call bullshit and photoshop. The fat lady is singing her dear heart out on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507/20 "2008-11-01T05:44:45Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > At this point it would have to be something explosive and undeniable: He pulls out a pistol and shoots somebody on camera, or something equally extreme. Never know. May flip Texas. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-the-well-too-poisoned-for-an-october-surprise/470507.md?page=2)