# Why won't Romney release his tax returns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 1, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085 "2012-08-01T18:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/361 "2012-08-07T07:18:27Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Point being that Root can come out with a wild allegation. It isn’t up to Obama to prove that allegation false. Just like it is not up to Romney to prove Reid’s allegation false. The difference here being that Romney has a history of lying on and about his taxes. A history that is documented, proven and part of a verified public record. Romney also has a history of calling for his opponents, and even his opponents’ spouses to release their tax returns to prove they had nothing to hide. Where is Obama’s proven history of lying about his education or his transcripts? And as noted, the tax returns are for the most recent 10 years - which would and should have greater relevance than something that happened 30 years ago, wouldn’t you think? And further still, one would think, wouldn’t one, that Harvard would check and verify Obama’s Columbia records? Unless you are also alleging that Harvard is part of the socialist cabal? So all in all - there is a lot of credible evidence that Romney has something to hide, and by hiding his releases he is going against accepted practice for presidential candidates. Obama, on the other hand, is in line with normal customs in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/362 "2012-08-07T07:21:52Z")
I don’t understand, how do conservatives make the leap from “didn’t attend class enough to make an impression on his classmates” to “foreign”? ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/363 "2012-08-07T08:32:43Z")
Is Obama running on, “the trouble with today’s economy is that people have been lying about their college transcrips from 30 years ago”? or “Job creators are being hampered because of the foreign exchange students poising as american students” or “The deficit could be reduced by giving the wealthy tax cuts and making sure people show the grades on their college transcrips from 30 years ago” If he was then boy would he need to produce his own college transcrips! ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/364 "2012-08-07T09:42:43Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I don’t understand, how do conservatives make the leap from “didn’t attend class enough to make an impression on his classmates” to “foreign”? Well, everyone knows that foreigners are less intelligent and amiable. Less willing to pay their own way, too, that’s why they’re all socialists. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/365 "2012-08-07T18:30:01Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I don’t understand, how do conservatives make the leap from “didn’t attend class enough to make an impression on his classmates” to “foreign”? The same way they go from “everybody in Ohio should be able to vote early” to “Obama hates the troops!!!” Seriously, can any of you Romneyphiles defend his blatant lying over the Ohio military voting issue? Magellan? Shodan? Anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/366 "2012-08-07T18:36:39Z")
Apart from whatever Reid said or whatever someone may have said to Reid, the fact still remains that Romney not releasing his taxes smacks of AT BEST arrogance and at worst that he is trying to hide something illegal. The problem is we don’t know what it is and so we are free to speculate until he does release them. The idea that we cannot speculate because we “don’t know” absolutely is ludicrous. The cloud here is entirely of Romney’s making. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/367 "2012-08-07T18:39:19Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Yeah? So? What’s to stop Romney from fighting fire with fire and picking apart Obama’s tax returns for this, and this and THIS! I doubt **Shodan** will address this. I pointed this out in post #222 but he seems to have ignored it successfully so far. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/368 "2012-08-07T19:02:09Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Point being that Root can come out with a wild allegation. It isn’t up to Obama to prove that allegation false. Just like it is not up to Romney to prove Reid’s allegation false. Sure, it isn’t up to either Obama or Romney to deny _any_ allegation that’s made against them. But it behooves both of them to weigh the benefits of addressing an allegation versus ignoring it or otherwise denying it without evidence. Regarding Root and Reid, for their credibility they should definitely produce proof of what they claim. In the larger question of the OP, I acknowledge that Romney could merely be wary of the Democrats making hay out of benign details found in his tax returns. But since we already know he’s rich, I think the the chance of actual damning info being found is much higher, otherwise he would have released them already. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/369 "2012-08-07T19:08:04Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > The same way they go from “everybody in Ohio should be able to vote early” to “Obama hates the troops!!!” > > Seriously, can any of you Romneyphiles defend his blatant lying over the Ohio military voting issue? Magellan? Shodan? Anybody? I’ll helpfully point out to them that there is another [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660876) about just this topic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/370 "2012-08-07T19:27:33Z")
I work at a college, and foreign students keep the school afloat-they pay sky high full tuition that is higher than residents. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/371 "2012-08-07T19:29:03Z")
Yes, how dare Reid allege without evidence that Romney is not releasing his tax returns! ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/372 "2012-08-07T19:38:43Z")
I’m not sure what you’re getting at. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/373 "2012-08-07T19:39:42Z")
> **[Why won't Romney release more tax returns? | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2012/07/18/opinion/kleinbard-canellos-romney-tax/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)** > > Edward Kleinbard and Peter Canellos: Anyone who aspires to America’s highest office should be thoroughly vetted. the coauthors both appear to be tax policy wonks, and neither has hugely partisan credentials as far as I can tell. I like the “What if Romney took advantage of the amnesty for Swiss bank account tax evaders program” idea the best:eek: ---
**Author:** ![JQPublic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@JQPublic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JQPublic)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/374 "2012-08-07T20:05:32Z")
The question is what would be in the tax returns that would affect anyones vote? Romney supporters are going to vote Romney and Obama supporters are going to vote Obama. I refuse to believe that there are any undecided voters out there. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/375 "2012-08-07T20:18:36Z")
> [@JQPublic](#): > > I refuse to believe that there are any undecided voters out there. Well OK then. ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/376 "2012-08-07T20:18:44Z")
I don’t think there are either. But there are people whose interest in actually voting depends on stuff like this - to varying degrees at least. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/377 "2012-08-07T20:41:41Z")
Then can’t we save a billion or so dollars and thirteen weeks of pain? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/378 "2012-08-08T00:23:38Z")
If there are truly no undecided voters, then how does one account for elections not all going the same way time and again? Is it all due to old voters dying off and young ones replacing them? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/379 "2012-08-08T05:22:37Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I doubt **Shodan** will address this. I pointed this out in post #222 but he seems to have ignored it successfully so far. I’ll give it a shot. There’s nothing stopping him. Except maybe a desire to talk about things that actually matter. And the fact that he doesn’t think that filing taxes that align with the U.S. tax code is something anyone should have to apologize for. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085/380 "2012-08-08T05:38:31Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I’ll give it a shot. There’s nothing stopping him. Except maybe a desire to talk about things that actually matter. And the fact that he doesn’t think that filing taxes that align with the U.S. tax code is something anyone should have to apologize for. If the U.S. tax code consistently lets him pay a lower tax rate than the poor and middle class people he’s asking to vote for him, then he’s got plenty of incentive not to release it. That’s what I expect is going on here-not that Romney is cheating or breaking the law, just that he’s been the beneficiary of a fucked-up tax code, and it’d be embarrassing for him to keep pushing for tax cuts for the rich with that held over him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-romney-release-his-tax-returns/630085.md?page=20)