Tax returns are a deal breaker

[Gaspar]

Really, I'm quite surprised someone of your wit and intellect bought into the meme that his taxes will somehow reveal one thing about his leadership style.  I downloaded the SF-278 and there's probably far more you can glean there than from tax returns and it's pretty devoid of anything other than assets and cash in, cash out.  Secondly, he's largely been an investor the last 13 years as far as personal income goes.  The tax returns won't speak to his policies as the governor of Mass, nor his chairmanship of the SLC Olympic games.

What do you suppose the personal 1040 forms of Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Meg Whitman, or Warren Buffett reveal about their own leadership or job creation skills?  What does President Obama's 1040 reveal about his potential for success or failure if he gets a second term in office?

If anything, he's showing strong leadership tendencies by not responding to a pathetic whisper campaign that he didn't pay taxes for ten years.

Here's the point Conan.  They've run out of things to attack him on.  This is it.  

When liberals consider leadership, track record, and economic/financial acumen, they simply cannot make the comparison between Mitt Romney and President Obama without enduring waves of nausea for their candidate.  Therefore they MUST be granted access to some other hook to exploit.

President Obama's failures are so many and Romney's are so little that it's only "fair" that he release his tax returns.  Otherwise the playing field is uneven. They are only asking that Romney do his fair share to even things up a bit.

They need to turn those frowns upside-down and see their candidate's failures as his greatest strengths. He's simply been victimized over the last 3 years.  Bring him back to GOD status.  That's the old Candidate Obama that the people miss.  We have a president who received the Nobel Prize for simply being. What other country has a guy like that?  Embrace it.  Promote it. Let the fainting begin!

[Conan71]

In normal times, the public would not demand to see a candidate's tax returns. This ain't normal times and Mitt ain't your normal candidate. His whole campaign is about money and how successful a businessman he has become. That is why people want to see what kind of businessman he was.

The Bush v Kerry campaign of eight years ago was different. War was a big topic and people talked about what kind of military service that Kerry had. He was running as a decorated veteran. His wife was filthy rich, but no one cared about his wealth because it wasn't a central part of his campaign. It is with Mitt.

Personal taxes shouldn't be an issue in this campaign, but they are. Romney has to deal with it and so far, he looks like his refusal is happening because he is hiding something. 

Actually, I don't recall Romney making the campaign about money.  I believe that started with the whole Occupy charade last year. 

Blame the wealthy and how little they pay in taxes for the housing bust, high unemployment, bank failures, etc. ad nauseum.  It's nothing more than another opportunity for the opposition to misinform the public about Romney.

So far, we've had a whisper campaign about him being a felon, he's a tax cheat, hasn't paid taxes over a period of ten years, his tax returns were the reason McCain elected not to choose him as a running mate. 

It's the 1%'er bogeyman, nothing more, nothing less.  The Democrats intend to frame this election as being the wealthy against the poor so that the poor don't think to ask or look closer at what Obama has or hasn't done to help improve their economic or job prospects over the last 3.5 years.

[Townsend]

The Democrats intend to frame this election as being the wealthy against the poor

Seems both sides are doing that.

[erfalf]

Seeing politicians play class warfare is so comical as they are all absurdly rich on our dime often times.

I have always wondered how men and women of relatively modest means could assume federal office and take a great six figure salary yet become wildly rich in that same time period well beyond their salary.

[Conan71]

Seeing politicians play class warfare is so comical as they are all absurdly rich on our dime often times.

I have always wondered how men and women of relatively modest means could assume federal office and take a great six figure salary yet become wildly rich in that same time period well beyond their salary.

Everyone except for Biden.  He doesn't seem very good at reporting his graft ahem, personal finance management as the rest.

[RecycleMichael]

Republicans attack welfare, food stamps and unemployment benefits then have the audacity to say the democrats are engaging in class warfare. Got it.

Let me say for the record that I am fine with Mitt losing the election by not releasing his tax returns.

[Conan71]

Let me say for the record that I am fine with Mitt losing the election by not releasing his tax returns.

I wasn't sure where you stood.  I appreciate you clarifying that.

[Gaspar]

Everyone except for Biden.  He doesn't seem very good at reporting his graft ahem, personal finance management as the rest.

Actually, Biden's income disclosures portray him as a simple, honest, unambitious man (at least as far as politicians go).  Money and finance really don't seem to be of any interest to him. He may have the most modest income of any life-long politician.  Now, that could be simply because he's not real good with money, but he doesn't seem to be the wasteful type.

He makes $379,000 a year.  He holds his savings account at Winmington Federal Savings according to his tax return from last year and he made $2,700 interest on it.  At their current rates, this would indicate that he has $135,000 in savings.  I've seen pictures of his house.  It's nice, but not extravagant.  He's paying about $25,600 in mortgage interest on it every year, seems quite high.

He has no investments or other outside income.  Probably drives an old Buick.  If $25K is his mortgage interest, he must be paying a helova monthly mortgage on the home.  I assume he probably plans to live off of his VP salary for the rest of his life.   I'm sure he'll do speaking gigs when he's out of office.  Not a bad gig for someone of Biden's caliber.

[Townsend]

^^^starting to sound like quite the creeper^^^

[Gaspar]

^^^starting to sound like quite the creeper^^^

[RecycleMichael]

Does anyone else think that is is weird of gaspar to study in-depth the tax returns and financial standing of VP Biden and not care at all to see Mitt's returns

He is obsessed with Joe and blase with Mitt when it comes to financial disclosure. I wonder why the difference.

[guido911]

Does anyone else think that is is weird of gaspar to study in-depth the tax returns and financial standing of VP Biden and not care at all to see Mitt's returns

He is obsessed with Joe and blase with Mitt when it comes to financial disclosure. I wonder why the difference.

Are you being serious? After how many Romney threads have you started you appallingly accuse someone else about an obsession?

[AquaMan]

Actually, Biden's income disclosures portray him as a simple, honest, unambitious man (at least as far as politicians go).  Money and finance really don't seem to be of any interest to him. He may have the most modest income of any life-long politician.  Now, that could be simply because he's not real good with money, but he doesn't seem to be the wasteful type.

He makes $379,000 a year.  He holds his savings account at Winmington Federal Savings according to his tax return from last year and he made $2,700 interest on it.  At their current rates, this would indicate that he has $135,000 in savings.  I've seen pictures of his house.  It's nice, but not extravagant.  He's paying about $25,600 in mortgage interest on it every year, seems quite high.

He has no investments or other outside income.  Probably drives an old Buick.  If $25K is his mortgage interest, he must be paying a helova monthly mortgage on the home.  I assume he probably plans to live off of his VP salary for the rest of his life.   I'm sure he'll do speaking gigs when he's out of office.  Not a bad gig for someone of Biden's caliber.

I dont know anything about Creeper, but this is creepy. You made several deductions and inferences from Biden's income disclosures which likely came from his tax returns. Yet you see no hypocrisy in supporting refusal of the same information to make the same analyses of Romney?!

This is just crazy. No way you guys would have tolerated a Democrat running on a platform of economic recovery based on a history of business success without perusing their tax returns. Its cowardly for Romney to refuse and its hypocrisy to not see that.

[Teatownclown]

Here's the point Conan.  They've run out of things to attack him on.  This is it.  

When liberals consider leadership, track record, and economic/financial acumen, they simply cannot make the comparison between Mitt Romney and President Obama without enduring waves of nausea for their candidate.  Therefore they MUST be granted access to some other hook to exploit.

President Obama's failures are so many and Romney's are so little that it's only "fair" that he release his tax returns.  Otherwise the playing field is uneven. They are only asking that Romney do his fair share to even things up a bit.

They need to turn those frowns upside-down and see their candidate's failures as his greatest strengths. He's simply been victimized over the last 3 years.  Bring him back to GOD status.  That's the old Candidate Obama that the people miss.  We have a president who received the Nobel Prize for simply being. What other country has a guy like that?  Embrace it.  Promote it. Let the fainting begin!

I will see you....


and raise you.

[Red Arrow]

After how many Romney threads have you started you appallingly accuse someone else about an obsession?

Evidently not enough.  There has not been a mass exodus to the Obama camp by TNFers.