[Verginius Rufus]

I know there were accusations that Reagan tried to influence the election by getting the Iranians to hold on to the hostages (as if the Iranians weren’t intent on humiliating Carter), and even claims that George H. W. Bush had flown to Paris for a secret meeting for this purpose, but I don’t recall if any of these claims were made before the election in November 1980.

[Calpernia]

There were.

[publana]

I didn’t hear any of it until after they released the hostages.

[subaru]

I may be wrong, but my recollection is that the Democrats did not latch onto the October Surprise claim about the hostages until H.W. was running for President in ‘88.

[stockstrader]

I know there were accusations that Reagan tried to influence the election by getting the Iranians to hold on to the hostages (as if the Iranians weren’t intent on humiliating Carter),

Accusations are one thing,,,,and they are totally worthless unless sourced--just ask Gov. Palin. Those are no more credible that phony rumors. No one ever cited a source for the Iranian case,,,

THIS ONE HAS A SOURCE!!!

HUGE DIFFERENCE.

[piasa]

I know there were accusations that Reagan tried to influence the election by getting the Iranians to hold on to the hostages (as if the Iranians weren’t intent on humiliating Carter), and even claims that George H. W. Bush had flown to Paris for a secret meeting for this purpose, but I don’t recall if any of these claims were made before the election in November 1980.

No, the claims were made after January 20, 1981... up to that point the left had no reason to believe the hostages would be released at all. The claims were ginned up to be used in a later election.

[piasa]

I know there were accusations that Reagan tried to influence the election by getting the Iranians to hold on...

The accusation was made in Gary Sick's 1985 book "All Fall Down." Sick was a Carter NSA staffer.

The claims appeared again in 1989 in a book "October Surprise" by Barbara Honegger, a person who briefly worked in the Reagan White House and apparently acquired a reputation for being a bunny-suited nut.

Not much came of the myth until the NY Times picked it up on April 15, 1991, and coincidentally the same day PBS did a show on it... followed coincidentally on April 17 by a Times op-ed by Leslie Gelb. The Dems in congress then called for an investigation, and Gary Sick chimed in again.

[plain talk]

I don’t recall if any of these claims were made before the election in November 1980.

And they didn't have a eye-witness coming forward. What is needed is a video of an interview with this Iraqi on You-tube. Go around the MSM if necessary like the Swiftboaters did. But it needs some dedicated energy behind it to get to the attention of the independents.