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Former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes with then-President Lyndon Johnson in 1967. Photo: Getty<\/p>\n
Former Texas Gov. John Connally (R) met Middle Eastern leaders in 1980 to convince Iran to delay releasing American hostages \u2014 part of an effort to sabotage then-President Jimmy Carter\u2019s re-election campaign, according to a New York Times report.<\/p>\n
Why it matters:<\/strong> Ronald Reagan's subsequent presidency ushered in a conservative era that remains a model for Republicans. If Carter had secured the release of the hostages, he might have won instead.<\/p>\n Driving the news:<\/strong> Former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, a protege of Connally, told the Times that he accompanied Connally on a tour of the Middle East in the summer of 1980, and that Connally wanted to get the message to Iran's leaders.<\/p>\n What happened:<\/strong> After spreading the message to Middle Eastern leaders, Connally and Barnes briefed the Reagan campaign in a lounge at the Dallas\/Fort Worth Airport, Barnes told the paper.<\/p>\n Between the lines:<\/strong> The term "October surprise" was originally coined by Reagan's camp, describing fears that Carter would get the hostages out right before the election.<\/p>\n Of note:<\/strong> Connally was in President John. F. Kennedy's limo when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. <\/p>\n\n
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