On the eve of the first presidential debate, the 47 percent remarks reverberate and will seemingly be a key issue in the discourse tomorrow. In all the back and forth, the last minute desperate attempts to scandalize old information, stands one observable truth of the moment. Barring some shocking revelation, there will be no October surprise this election cycle.
The term October surprise is an event or release of information at the 11th hour in the general election that acts as a game changer. What we have here is a September surprise, and it is still ringing in the ears of millions of Americans. There are reports that Mitt Romney intends to address the remarks tomorrow, and we can only wait to see how it goes. Romney waiting until now to address it loads him down a great deal, and should his clarification of his remarks come off unconvincing, President Obama is right there to pounce on it should he choose to.
The long and short of it, is that in an environment with tightly controlled campaigns and a 24 hour news cycle, the October surprise has come a month early. The true “Aha!” moment, and the thrill that goes with it late in the game will not occur. Well, unless someone manages to produce that ever elusive Kenyan birth certificate. Anything is possible with Photoshop nowadays.
-Marc W. Polite
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