Joe Kefauver is managing partner of Align Public Strategies, a full-service public affairs and creative firm that helps corporate brands, governments and nonprofits navigate the outside world and inform their internal decision-making. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of Nation’s Restaurant News.
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No one dreads surprises like presidential candidates and their campaigns do in the final push toward Election Day. (U.S. Senators and their staffers run a close second.)
Forty years ago, the term “October surprise” entered the fray of political jargon. Versions of it have emerged in elections ever since, especially during hotly contested or highly visible races with national implications. The theory behind the October surprise is that campaigns will deliberately time or plan a significant news event designed to influence the outcome of an election — usually negatively.
In a year when GOP nominee Donald Trump surprises the electorate almost daily, and Republicans are digging for fresh or recycled controversies involving Democratic nominee H...
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