http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2004/09/disreputable-men.html

>Gary Sick's is an interesting story. Sick is the author of October Surprise, one of the best accounts of the covert deal struck in the Fall of 1980 between senior Republicans, arms merchants and Iranian mullahs to delay the return of the American hostages until Ronald Reagan's inauguration. 

I have never seen the purpose of "delaying the return of the American hostages until Ronald Reagan's inauguration".   Delaying until after the election, until after Reagan won, would have made perfect sense.  If anything, it would have made Iran more "mojo points" if they delayed until just after Reagan won.  That would have made it appear that Iran had swung the election to Reagan.  

              Jim Bell