[Political Junkie Too]

I could add:

• 1992 - California Senate race: Barbara Boxer release news in October that Republican opponent Bruce Herschensohn once attended a stripper club. Boxer wins.
• 1998 - California Senate race: Barbara Boxer releases news in October that Republican opponent Matt Fong (then ahead in the race) once donated campaign funds to an anti-gay group. Boxer won by 10%.
• 2002 - California Governor race: Democrat Gray Davis vs Republican Bill Simon. In August 2002, the California Superior Court finds Simon's company guilty of defrauding business partners in a pay phone company. Simon himself was not named, and the court of appeals later overturned the guilty verdict four years later. However, Davis went on to win the election.

-PJ

[mad_as_he$$]

How many of those were actually effective? Difference is regular hardball politics and game changing stuff. A surprise in an off election year will be spread over many candidates - not just one.