# October Surprise countdown **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147 "2012-10-18T17:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/1 "2012-10-18T17:47:59Z")
[October Surprise](http://octsurprise.com/). Anybody want to take a stab in the dark since we’ve got just under 100 hours before the big reveal. My guess is that it’s another fake-out just like the Romney tax return blackmail threat. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/2 "2012-10-18T17:52:41Z")
I’ll second that it’s probably nothing of consequence, and I’ll say there’s a 30 or 40 percent chance it’s not about the presidential election. And I think people will continue to say every minor event in the election between September 15th and November 3rd is “the October Surprise.” ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/3 "2012-10-18T17:53:12Z")
Probably viral marketing for Dominos or something. Maybe The Noid is back. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/4 "2012-10-18T17:55:23Z")
[Gawker](http://gawker.com/5952875/website-counting-down-to-october-surprise-has-the-internet-guessing)notes that [the blurred “teaser documents”](http://i.imgur.com/tPOO8.jpg) appear that they could be tax forms, and one looks like it may have State of Massachusetts letterhead. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/5 "2012-10-18T17:59:44Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > [October Surprise](http://octsurprise.com/). Anybody want to take a stab in the dark since we’ve got just under 100 hours before the big reveal. My guess is that it’s another fake-out just like the Romney tax return blackmail threat. This is going to be right before the foreign policy debate right? I vaguely recall a Politico article a couple of weeks back where the Romney campaign seemed to think they had a damaging national security revelation that they would unleash. Can’t find the article now but it could be something related to that. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/6 "2012-10-18T18:03:56Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > This is going to be right before the foreign policy debate right? I vaguely recall a Politico article a couple of weeks back where the Romney campaign seemed to think they had a damaging national security revelation that they would unleash. Can’t find the article now but it could be something related to that. bin Laden still alive, and staying in the Lincoln bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/7 "2012-10-18T18:14:38Z")
Mitt Romney as actually Kodos. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/8 "2012-10-18T19:01:16Z")
There is a non-zero chance of those tax returns coming out, and it being devastating. Too many hands have been on those things for it to stay secret. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/9 "2012-10-18T19:03:04Z")
The Noid!!! Hahaha I love it. Perhaps, frustrated that nobody asked about Pizza in the last debate… it might make sense! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/10 "2012-10-18T19:04:00Z")
Not saying that it will necessarily be coming from this linked source! ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/11 "2012-10-18T19:20:14Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > There is a non-zero chance of those tax returns coming out, and it being devastating. Too many hands have been on those things for it to stay secret. What do you expect to be so “devastating” about the returns? We already know that Mitt has made enormous amounts of money. Do you think Harry Reid was telling the truth and he paid no taxes? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/12 "2012-10-18T19:26:47Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > What do you expect to be so “devastating” about the returns? We already know that Mitt has made enormous amounts of money. Do you think Harry Reid was telling the truth and he paid no taxes? Something must be in there if they’ve decided they’d rather get shit on for not releasing them. Probably related to Mitt’s offshore accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/13 "2012-10-18T19:35:05Z")
As I see it there are three broad possibilities: a) The whole thing is fake. Quite likely. b) There are some genuine documents but they aren’t important and don’t significantly impact the race. Also quite possible. c) There are genuine documents and they seriously damage one of the candidates. Highly unlikely but if this is in fact the case one of the campaigns knows it’s in trouble. Those blurred documents have enough detail that if they are genuine, people who have seen them will know exactly what they are. You might see signs of the campaign trying to get ahead of the problem before the reveal. In all likelihood though it’s a or b and the “surprise” will be a big flop. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/14 "2012-10-18T19:42:53Z")
I think I read somewhere (liberal blog?) that the site owner/register-er is a conservative, so this may have something to do with Obama? But yeah, probably not a big deal either way. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/15 "2012-10-18T19:49:19Z")
Funny how it says “One of your presidential candidates isn’t being honest with you.” FOR REALS?? ALERT THE MEDIA!!! Actually, if they mean _only_ one, then it’s news. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/16 "2012-10-18T19:54:30Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I think I read somewhere (liberal blog?) that the site owner/register-er is a conservative, so this may have something to do with Obama? God, I hope not. Not out of fear for Obama but because, if it’s some conservative thing, it’ll probably be a receipt from Obama selling a couch to Bill Ayers in 1987 or something. _Turn on the Drudge Sirens!!_ ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/17 "2012-10-18T19:55:35Z")
Clearly the Noid was the brainchild of Bin Laden, and he’s back for revenge. Either one of them. Can’t wait! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/18 "2012-10-18T20:17:25Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > What do you expect to be so “devastating” about the returns? We already know that Mitt has made enormous amounts of money. Do you think Harry Reid was telling the truth and he paid no taxes? 2009 tax amnesty for offshore tax cheats. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/19 "2012-10-18T20:21:24Z")
My bet is more birther nonsense ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147/20 "2012-10-18T20:27:33Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > [Gawker](http://gawker.com/5952875/website-counting-down-to-october-surprise-has-the-internet-guessing)notes that [the blurred “teaser documents”](http://i.imgur.com/tPOO8.jpg) appear that they could be tax forms, and one looks like it may have State of Massachusetts letterhead. Gawker post has since been updated twice with some details that indicate it might be viral marketing for some godawful Animal Planet pet election thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/october-surprise-countdown/638147.md?page=2)