There are several possible October surprises to help get people to vote Republican:

- a conveniently timed major "terrorist" attack on American soil
- a conveniently timed shooting war suddenly erupts with Iran (a limited one...or otherwise)
- a conveniently timed capture or death of Bin Laden
- a conveniently timed other international war crisis of some sort

Americans will always tend to vote for a bellicose "warrior" type like John McCain in the even of such a crisis. The natural reaction to trouble of that sort seems to be..."Oh, let's add to it, shall we? Best throw some more gasoline on the fire, boys."

I agree, Kat, that terrorists are not what these guys in Washington fight, terrorists are what they use, and terrorists are what they are.