In the spring of 2008, President Obama was facing the most difficult challenge of his campaign -- his association with Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Wright, the pastor at Obama's local church and the man who presided over his wedding to Michelle, was increasingly seen as a polarizing political figure. As part of an effort to diffuse the situation, he gave an historic speech at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia that served to distance himself from Wright, as well as elevate the conversation beyond political attack ads. Obama's approach was perfectly executed -- attack the allegations head on, and focus the conversation on another topic of greater importance.
Although different in substance, Romney faces a similar situation today. For Obama, there were questions about his views with regards to race and religion. Today, as Romney refuses to release more than two years of tax returns, he gives his opposition the opportunity to remind voters of some of his shortcomings. First, his "flip flopping" nature (is he hiding something or not?); and, second, the idea that he is rich, out of touch and just "not like me" (scores of bank accounts across Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and beyond isn't exactly common among the middle class).
So, if you believe these arguments to be true, why not just confront the controversy head on as Obama did in 2008 with Wright? If one has nothing to hide, why not release a set of comprehensive records (Romney reportedly, after all, provided the McCain campaign with 20+ years of returns when being vetted for VP)? The answer is simple -- he must have something to hide.
Could he actually be worth more than is being estimated under federal disclosure filings (currently ~$190-250 million)? Has putting money in offshore accounts in some way lowered the amount of taxes he's had to pay (according to his campaign, the answer is no)? Or, is there significant income from Bain that was earned after his departure in 1999 (when Romney claims to have not been involved in Bain's investment decisions)? And lastly, was a deal stuck with fellow Bain partners that Romney could never disclose certain information about the firm and its income (since Bain remains a private company)?
It's difficult to know, but one thing is evident -- Romney and his campaign would only weather the current storm if the alternative of releasing additional information about his taxes were even worse than the present. In fact, according to people close to the situation, Romney would drop out of the presidential race before ever releasing further tax returns. It does seem a bit ironic, that a man whose father was one of the champions of transparency with regards to a candidate's finances is now the most blatant offender in modern presidential politics. Even more ironic, is that in general any member of Romney's potential Cabinet (or political appointee confirmed by the Senate) would be required to submit at least three years of tax returns. It seems very strange that the most senior member of the Executive branch wouldn't be held to the same standard.
Beyond the information itself (or lack thereof), the campaign and its surrogates are having an incredibly difficult time navigating this issue because they don't have a bigger agenda to pivot the conversation towards. In 2008, Obama elevated the Wright controversy to being a discussion about equality and progress in America. Today, you would think Romney and his team of surrogates should have an easy time shifting the conversation towards Romney's vision for our economy and plan to improve America's global competitiveness. Instead, given the lack of a bold reform agenda, they revert back to attacking the President and look small in doing so. The conversation, therefore, remains stuck in a political quagmire of empty rhetoric devoid of ideas.
So, while Romney's taxes might seem like a trivial issue in the dog days of summer, this topic is real and will influence the election. Controversies without a resolution remain just that, a controversy. The media will continue to push for answers on Romney's taxes, and the Obama campaign (and their super PAC supporters) will make sure it remains a big part of the conversation. But, beyond the talking points and politics, Romney continues to send a loud message to voters -- he'll do what is politically expedient at the time, with little concern for transparency. As the economy remains the #1 issue on voter's minds, this election should be Romney's to lose -- and that makes it all the scarier to hypothesize what he is hiding.
Follow Abby Huntsman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/huntsmanabby
HuffPost Radio: BOTH SIDES NOW: Will Romney Produce Long-form Tax Returns From His Bain Years?
Tobias Barrington Wolff: Mitt Romney: No Good Reason for Refusing to Release Tax Returns
David Wild: "Release Me": A Playlist to Help Mitt Romney With His Tax Returns
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Romney's Tax Issue Limits His VP Options
President Obama showed his birth certificate and shut up his sane critics, because he had nothing to hide. Romney could do the same with his tax returns, if they would silence his critics, but we all know by now (through basic deduction) that they wouldn't, because he is hiding something.
And think about it....
Every single top notch Republican who might be on Romney's short list to be the VP nominee has competed and been victorious in previous elections. It is virtually beyond doubt that in those contests each of these potential VP candidates has already released many more years of their tax returns than Romney is willing to today.
Assuming Romney sticks to his 'silent strategy' then any potential VP nominee knows that they would be asked one big question from day one, to election day and that question is...'Why shouldn't Romney release as much of his tax returns as you have?' Who wants to be in that situation? No one I can think of....
Of course there's always Joseph Lieberman! Could be....
Posted by The Dixie Dove
What Romney disclosed may meet the legal standards, but see how well it plays with the voters. I assume they still count for something. How do you know that he hides nothing ? You eat chicken with him occasionally ??
You must be a Republican comparing apples and oranges, and telling us what we are supposed to believe about what's hidden and what's not.
The fact that he has accounts he thought were well hidden overseas, strongly indicates he has hidden a lot. What is the Patriotic American , Good Morman reason for having money stashed around the world ?? It could be it's something very simple to folks like me. What if it's found that he has a gazillion dollars in these accounts scattered around ? I have absolutely no problem with it, unless he's dodging taxes. But a new angle no one has mentioned : What if he hasn't been tithing enough according to Morman standards ? Doesn't botther me, but he might not want to admit to the church he's been lying all these years.
You conclude with the assumption that "he's been lying all these years." You assume that everyone on the planet is as dishonest as the media and the voters who spout the party line every time they discuss politics?
A final thought: current argument is that Romney was milking the Bain cash cow dry even after he left Bain to take on a thirty hour a day job trying to salvage the Salt Lake winter olympics, which were in deep financial trouble. Are you aware, nogrins that while he was doing that he was not accepting a paycheck or an expense account from the olympics for his service. Did you know he accepted no pay in his service as governor of Mass? The guy is not poor and has no need of dishonesty.
Compared to Romney, there is much more hidden from view from this opaque president.
Huh ?
His Saudi Arabian sponsors were dismayed as he fostered an anti-regime policy toward Mubarak and the other kings and leaders of Arab nations. Through Arab Spring, he has accelerated the formation of a Sunni Arab caliphate, but one not under traditional leadership. The Muslim Brotherhood is despised and suppressed by the Arab leaders, who are freightened both by Iran as well as fundamentalist Sunnis displacing them.