Will There Be An October Election Surprise?

While the month of October is still several hours away, something new and out of left field might have a lasting effect on the upcoming November congressional elections. The quick and unexpected resignation of Congressman Mark Foley of Florida will once again shine a negative light on Republican leadership in Congress. One of the interesting twists in the Mark Foley story is that he was one of the new congressmen who were swept into office in 1994 when the Republicans first took over control of the US House of Representatives.

With the disgusting email and instant message communications sent from Congressman Foley to a 16 year old boy who served as a page in the US House of Representatives, new focus will be placed on all Republicans, many of whom have known about these allegations for up to a year and took no action against their colleague. Unfortunately, this whole situation is taking on the appearance of a good old boy network that first and foremost protects their own interests and their own power base in DC.

Throughout the entire history of the US there has been phenomenon happen during most election cycles and that phenomenon is called the “October Surprise” which seems to happen either by accident or on purpose during the final few weeks of a campaign which propels one side or the other into power. I can see the whole Mark Foley situation turning ugly because he is a member of the GOP which stands for family values as one of their base issues. Why the leadership of the House of Representative may have known about this outrage situation and did nothing about it until almost election time is unbelievable and down right stupid from a political party’s point of view.

I don’t think anyone outside of a few folks inside the House of Representatives leadership even knew much about this Mark Foley situation until a few days ago. However, the speed at which Congressman Foley resigned his office proved to me that he was most definitely in the wrong and he knew that his communications with the young boy would not come off looking innocent and just a powerful man trying to be a role model for the young man in Louisiana. This case does prove the perverts come in all shapes and sizes and they also come from all income brackets and positions of power.

People who prey on young boys, like Congressman Foley has allegedly done are sick in the head and no matter what other people think or even the real possibility they will be caught and punished doesn’t seem to slow them down one bit in the conquest of minors who are not well equipment to fight them off. Many political pundits where on TV today saying that this whole story is going to fade away quickly, but I’m not so sure about that. For Republicans to be successful in November they must get their core voters to the polls and this outrageous action by one of their own isn’t going to help in that goal.