<\/p>\n

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

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• Carter's aides have long suspected that his campaign was torpedoed by Reagan affiliates who wanted to delay the release of American hostages until after the election.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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

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  • With Carter now in hospice care, Barnes felt like it was time to share his 43-year-old secret, the New York Times writes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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

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    • The hostages were held until the day Reagan was inaugurated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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

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      • Connally was wounded in the back, wrist and thigh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What they're saying:<\/strong> "History needs to know that this happened," Barnes, who turns 85 next month, said in one of several interviews on the topic.<\/p>\n

        Yes, but:<\/strong> While documents in several archives corroborate the basic timeline, the story is difficult to confirm after so much time, the New York Times writes.<\/p>\n

        The other side:<\/strong> John B. Connally III, the former governor\u2019s eldest son, told the paper that he remembered his father taking the Middle East trip but never heard about any message to Iran.<\/p>\n

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        • "It doesn't sound like my dad," he said.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes with then-President Lyndon Johnson in 1967. Photo: Getty Former Texas Gov. John Connally (R) met Middle Eastern leaders in 1980 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":131833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n