Democrats Fear 'October Surprise'

AP News - from Tampa Bay Online ^ | Oct 2, 9:56 PM EDT | TOM RAUM

[NewMediaFan]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the presidential campaign's closing weeks, Democrats are bracing for an "October Surprise," an event so dramatic it could influence the election's outcome. The capture of Osama bin Laden, for instance.

It's part of American political lore: the party out of power worries about a last-minute surprise engineered by the party in power. Now that October has arrived and the election is just a month away, speculation is rife among Democrats that President Bush and political mastermind Karl Rove have some tricks up their sleeves.

"I assume that it will be something," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "We have to be ready for that."

[NRA2BFree]

In the presidential campaign's closing weeks, Democrats are bracing for an "October Surprise," an event so dramatic it could influence the election's outcome. The capture of Osama bin Laden, for instance.

That would be OK, but I'd rather see a major WMD find in Iraq. That would prove President Bush made the right decision going into Iraq.

[Seadog Bytes]

Oktober Surprise...?

[Flamenco Lady]

Swift Boat Vets will probably come out with that one!

[Smartass]

LOL...You just wrecked my whole day.

THANKS FOR THE PING

[Peelod]

That someone from South Africa has a little problem.

---

http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Hornet/qat.html

Everything about Qat/khat/kat
KHAT (KAT) Because khat contains ephedrinelike compounds it seems best included in this section [a setion on Amphetamines]. Lewin (1931) gave a brief account of khat and how it was used. Apparently it was taken socially to produce excitation, banish sleep, and promote communication. It was used as a stimulant to dispel feelings of hunger and fatigue.

The natives chewed young buds and fresh leaves of catha edulis (_Celastrus edulis_). This is a large shrub which can grow to tree size. It originated in Ethiopia and spread until its use covered Kenya, Nyasaland [now Malawi], Uganda, Tanganyika [now Tanzania], Arabia, the Congo, Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe and Zambia], and South Africa. The khat trees are grown interspersed between coffee trees.

Khat was used in Yemen even before coffee and it was immensely popular. Lewin described khat markets to which khat was brought in bundles of branches from the mountains.

Khat contains cathine (d-norisoephedrine), cathidine, and cathinine. Cathine is also one of the alkaloids found in _Ephedra vulgaris_. It is fortunate, perhaps, that khat is also very rich in ascorbic acid which is an excellent antidote to amphetamine-type compounds.

In animals, khat produces excitation and increased motor activity. In humans, it is a stimulant producing a feeling of exaltation, a feeling of being liberated from space and time. It may produce extreme loquacity, inane laughing, and eventually semicoma. It may also be an euphorient and used chronically can lead to a form of delirium tremens. Galkin and Mironychev (1964) reported that up to 80% of the adult population of Yemen use khat. Upon first chewing khat, the initial effects were unpleasant and included dizziness, lassitude, tachycardia, and sometimes epigastric pain. Gradually more pleasant feelings replaced these inaugural symptoms. The subjects had feelings of bliss, clarity of thought, and became euphoric and overly energetic. Sometimes khat produced depression, sleepiness, and then deep sleep. The chronic user tended to be euphoric continually. In rare cases the subjects became aggressive and overexcited. Galkin and his colleague observed 51 subjects who had taken khat. Of these, 27 became excited, 18 became somnolent, and 6 remained unchanged. The respiratory rate and pulse rate were accelerated and the blood pressure tended to rise. The subjects also had a decrease in the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system.

[M Kehoe]

I'm smelling fear from the democRATs/liberals/socialists.

I said that early today.

5.56mm

[ZOTnot]

I missed it! What did the girl from Kenya say exactly?

[Allegra]

Indicting Soros on multiple charges would be a sweet October surprise...this is an interesting thread, Allegra.

We're expecting something soon...and we're wondering why it's not been divulged yet.

[Agrarian]

Hillary doesn't want a Kerry win. She wants Bush to win, but in as damaged a condition as possible. If Bush is leading comfortably, the Clinton surprise will be at Bush's expense. If Kerry is leading, it will be to Bush's benefit...

[grey_whiskers]

Surprise: Video of Kerry and Edwards typing the fake National Guard Documents. Surprise: Video of Vietnamese General thanking Kerry for his help. There have to be many more possibilities.

[Anti-Kerry sarcasm torpedo ARMED. FIRE!]

Based upon your second, how about recently uncovered KGB files revealing Kerry's KGB control officer, and Kerry being arrested for treason live on national TV during one of the debates?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Terezza's a speed junkie?

Where'd you hear that? Kitty Dukakis?

[sweetiepiezer]

Don't anyone leak what it is!!!!!

[finnigan2]

By a process of elimination, the October surprise must have something to do with the period in Kerry's life when he was in the anti war movement. Something devastatingly unpatriotic. There is a vague rumor floating on the internet that there are some video tapes of a young Kerry burning and urinating on the American flag at an early 70's anti war rally, but it's only a rumor. If there is a surprise from that period, it will come from either O'Neil and the Swifties (directly) or from Hitlery and her little cache of FBI files (indirectly). Rove, although he might well know what's coming, will stay well clear of being associated with whatever it is.

[OpusatFR]

That's interesting. I also know a very prominent NY pol who is a Bush supporter but won't come out because one of his relatives is starting a run on the democrat ticket.

It's surprising the number of democrats who are voting for Bush but because of their future, won't endorse him publicly.

[freeperfromnj]

I'd rather see a major WMD find in Iraq.

Notice how the President often mentions Libya. I think a Libya/Iraq WMD connection is the key.

[Patriotic Rich]

Our troops captured a weapon of mass destruction and he's behind bars awaiting trial. Followed by,hopefully, a public beheading right after the stoning. Then drawn and quartered.

[Happy2BMe]

The ultimate John kerry Ad(Click the above link - Thanks to Tigereye and Ernest at the Beach)

The ultimate John kerry Ad(Click the above link - Thanks to Tigereye and Ernest at the Beach)

[TeleStraightShooter]

Good question there, I was going from a 4 year memory, and I was off a bit.

I googled it out and found this.

"In that city, 1,025,259 are registered voters out of 1,065,455 residents aged 18 and over. As a number of adults are ineligible to vote (e.g., felons and non-citizens), the number of registered voters clearly exceeds the number of eligible people,"

That's 96.2% voter registration, match that up with
54.73 turnout:
BUSH, GEORGE W. (REP)-100,959
GORE, AL (DEM)-449,182
PHILLIPS, HOWARD (CST)-1,032
BROWNE, HARRY (LIB)-979
NADER, RALPH (GRN)- 8,206
BUCHANAN, PATRICK J. (REF)-822 Total-561,180

With hyper-voter registration it is easier to "slip in" oh, say, 100,000 (D) votes.

[sierrahome]

I have an October surprise for Mr. Kerry. Our 21 year old son, our 19 year old daughter my wife and myself are volunteering (our first time) at the local Republican HQ this October. Surprise Mr. Kerry! We don't have millions, we don't even have hundreds but we have the time to put you clowns down!