The mysterious father of the 'October surprise'

Introducing our new podcast on the tense final weeks before an election, and a deeper look at the man who coined the phrase

William J. Casey was one of the most powerful figures in 1980s Washington, but he didn’t look the part.

“He slurred his words, and his speech was like a shortwave broadcast, fading in and out,” Bob Woodward wrote of Casey.

“The few strands of wiry white hair on the edges of his bald head each embarked on its own stubborn course, further contributing to t…