Barack Obama Unlike Romney Is OK With Releasing His Tax Returns

How lame of Obama, what a child.

When they push him for his birth certificate, I always see that as being so childish, and in fact Obama constantly takes a condescending attitude towards that behavior.

I hadn't realized his condescension was just an act and that he would pull the exact same thing if it suited him.

 

How is it the same thing? The question is HOW much in taxes did Romney. It isn't a question of whether he filed his taxes.

 

You do realize the whole birth certificate business was just thinly veiled racism right? They never asked Bush, Clinton, Nixon ... basically every president before a half black president for their birth certificate. Why don't we have Mitt's birth certificate on record? His dad was Mexican. He's mormon. Who is to say Mitt wasn't born on a mission somewhere in Kenya?

What is hilarious is that Romney's tax returns are actually pertinent. They speak to his financial sense. Does he actually pay taxes, or does he duck out on them and leave someone else to foot the bill? Does he actually keep his money here, or is he just another sneaky a-hole who wants to dodge doing his fair share? These are legitimate questions that he can't even answer. This goes far beyond where was he born, this is asking who the hell is this guy...

 

Whole different thing... It is rather insane to believe that there is some long-standing conspiracy since Obama's birth to illegally make him eligible to be elected president. it is not that insane to believe that there are some info in Romney's tax returns that folks might find interesting given what's in the tax return that Romney already released and what we know about his income from Bain.

 

Romney's tax return is also interesting in demonstrating the extent to which the folks in Romney's income bracket can avoid taxation under U.S. tax law. To the extent that the Romney (Ryan?) plan hits upon tax policy, it is relevant.

 

Not the same.

Tax return is very very relevant for a presidential candidate. It says a lot about his/her character and actions.

Not many people cared about the birth certificate shenanigans. OTOH, if Romney does not disclose his taxes before the election day, it is going to severely hurt him.

 

I really hope they come out. Some beautiful person with no regard for his own personal safety and who is in a position of power might be gracious enough to leak them. That would be grand...

Or... How about Mitt just own up to the fact that he doesn't put in his fair share? Heck, even if he did own up to it a bunch of lifer republicans would run to the interwebs screaming and typing with vigor that he is part of the job creators (obviously not in this country) and he has done well more than his fair share...

 

Obviously tax returns are POTENTIALLY more relevant. I stress the word POTENTIALLY. Just like Romney's dog is even less relevant than Obama's birth certificate.

Obama is sending you on a witch hunt. You guys love that. Romney is taking the 'I don't have to do anything I'm asked to do in 'Murica' approach. They love it.

If he doesn't have to show it, he doesn't have to show it. If he has to show it, he has to show it. He's already said he's not going to voluntarily show it.

Sounds to me like none of you like the rules of what they have to and don't have to do, and the criticism is pointing in the wrong direction. As if ANY of these guys would make more disclosure of election candidate info a priority if they had the power.

You all are looking for something relevant, something important. These two are not. Can you even fathom the possibility that in 2012 someone would run for President knowing something as sinister as what's being assumed exists on their record, or knowing they would have to disclose it at some point?

 

Even as a foreigner, I'm familiar with the lingo enough to know that the standard response to your post is:

Rinse and repeat. Over and over.

 

It's tradition. Every presidential candidate since George Romney has been releasing their tax returns. Every. Single. One. Romney is the first to buck this unofficial trend, so it reeks of suspicion, especially given his single return he has released.

Proving that you're an American citizen is something completely exclusive to Obama. Yes, every president has to prove they're a citizen, and Obama did so in the same way every other president has. However, people didn't accept that; he's the first president a large group of (crazy) people have demanded a long form birth certificate for.

One item is silly: no one has ever asked for such a thing of any president. The other is typical: every presidential candidate has released around a decade of tax returns. Until Romney does what's normal and releases a decade of tax returns, it's suspicious. No, he doesn't have to, but suspicion will remain.

 

There are very few things that a candidate "has to show", however Romney is not stupid and knows that some independents want to see his returns as have often times been produced over the years by other candidates.

So the question becomes, why does Romney not produce the returns to get it out of the news cycle and to reassure some voters still in play? There are only 3 possibilities.... #1 He knows his returns will show he payed a low tax rate and will alientate voters and the label that he only is concerned with the rich will stick. #2 He has become politically inept, while he has shot himself in the foot repeatedly since winning the nomination, he is not a stupid man and cannot believe this is the case. #3 He will release his returns at a later date showing that he paid a fair tax rate, but that is a very dangerous game to play.

The birth certificate situation was a completely different animal. First, there was not much interest in the birth certificate from many undecided voters. Second, the constant cries for the birth certificate only made the Republican party seem more extremeist, and to many folks petty and perhaps racist.

 

Flip this... What I don't understand is, after all the belly-aching the right has done regarding forms, and is still doing, about the President showing his "forms," how did Romney get this far in thinking he wouldn't be showing "forms." I know we're talking two different things in that one is a document that if not valid would negate one's ability to be President while one is more of a detriment to public opinion, but in general...

How did he not see this snag coming? How did the people supporting him not see this coming?

It looks bad. He can do what he wants. Seems like someone should have seen this coming.

 

Romney is obviously will not release his tax returns because he is ashamed to be a poster boy for tax avoidance schems of the uber rich. Or perhaps he is trying to dodge civil or criminal liability.

It will be wild if he would rather lose the eletion than release his returns. Tne momentary excitment of Ryan will not the issue go away.

 

That means what he's not showing is that bad.

 

Romney was/is just so wrapped up in the 1% cocoon and so out of touch with ordinary Americans that he was caught flatfooted on his taxes. How dare the lowly plebes question his success or integrity?

But then, the ultimate indignity, his wife had to defend him.

"We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life."



To that I say, thanks for coming in for the interview, we'll be in touch.

 

One of two things will happen:

1) He will not show the tax returns.
or
2) He will show them and there will not be anything substantial in there to preclude him from running or becoming President.

$200 in the tipjar if anything else happens.

 

Almost all members of Congress are in the 1%.

I would flip my vote for Romney if he came out and said he'd pursue reforms on the tax code so he'd pay his fair share....if only because Obama doesn't have the gall to propose it himself.

It might be a publicly popular movie, but it wouldn't go so well inside Washington, the place where things gets passed....