Ahead of the November midterm elections, political strategists are speculating on the possible October surprises, which can change the outcome of the elections.
Reportedly, some events with high potential to impact the outcome of midterms include the abortion debate and Trump and Biden’s announcement of their 2024 presidential election ambitions.
Dems Can Use Upcoming Pregnancy Stories as October Surprise
Fox News contacted different political strategists of both parties to get their opinion on the possible October surprise and their impacts on the upcoming elections.
Sarah Evangeline, a Democratic political strategist who also worked for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2020, noted Democrats are likely to intensify their campaign on the issue of abortion, which will significantly alter the election results.
She suggested even Republicans are split on the issue of abortion, which is evident from the fact the state of Kansas, which overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2020, voted for a ballot initiative to make abortion legal.
According to Evangeline, some dangerous stories like children forced to give birth and mothers dying for denied abortion access can surface in October, which will help Democrats in mobilizing pro-choice voters.
Democrats Prepare a Mid-Term October Surprise to Influence the Election https://t.co/eeEme7mGUs
— Hell On Wheels (@Colt_45_Outlaw) August 8, 2022
Even though Republicans had strong points to campaign on in the election year, the Supreme Court’s verdict to overturn Roe has given Democrats new life, Evangeline added.
Similarly, GOP strategist Colin Reed, who worked on the Senate campaign of former Republican Senator Scott Brown, said both the parties will frame elections like it is a referendum on Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Reed established Biden’s decision to run for the White House again could decide the Democrats’ fate in the midterm elections.
According to him, most Democrats are already forcing Biden to step aside before the November elections, but this will make Biden a “lamest of lame ducks.”
Furthermore, Reed stated oil inflation is likely to increase before elections as the releases from Strategic Petroleum Reserve will expire in October, which will eventually hurt Democrats’ chances in the elections.
Explosive information will start leaking in a few weeks, giving new meaning to "October surprise." People are finally talking, and it will shake up the midterms.
— Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) August 3, 2022
Political Parties Must Not Wait For October to Start Campaigning Aggressively
However, another political strategist, Laura Fink, claimed this year’s elections might come without the October surprise. She argued political parties need to define their opposition as soon as possible since early voting will start before the so-called October surprise.
Fink insisted this year’s surprise has already come in the form of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade verdict, which ignited the voters, due to the government’s overreach into the personal health decisions of women.
Another political strategist, Boyd Matheson, who worked as a chief of staff for Republican Senator Mike Lee, claimed there are endless possibilities for this year’s October surprise.
These possibilities include the indictment of Donald Trump in the January 6 investigations and more revelations in Hunter Biden’s scandal.
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission.
