I think R-Money is going to get away with not releasing the tax returns.

[Can o Beans]

As much damage as the recent days and weeks have done to his campaign, they have yet to really register in the national polling figures. If he stonewalls long enough, eventually the subject just gets boring to reporters. It's not hard to imagine how after a month or so of the Obama campaign's taunting, he and the media both just ignore the questions - this stuff is old news, he's not going to release anything, let's just move on.

I am just having a hard time believing that the man's hubris will ever allow a release, and as long as the polls stay relatively fixed, the MSM will eventually move on to the next shiny object. Those of us that think he's boxed in - I am afraid he's really not. A non-response, if adopted for a long enough period of time, becomes the response.

Someone convince me I am wrong. Please.

CoB

[sadbear]

1. The only way he can get away with it is if he wins.

[Skinner]

5. This.

[JoePhilly]

28. My very first thought!!!

[RagAss]

2. If he does, it's because we are not screaming loud enough

And we will deserve it.

[arcane1]

3. It's not helping Romney that so many prominent repubs are making the same demands

[malaise]

4. He's going to lose the election

so let him get away with it.

[Thinkingabout]

27. I agree and the repub whiners can blame

The loss on Democrats and especially Obama.

[Thinkingabout]

37. I agree and the repub whiners can blame

The loss on Democrats and especially Obama.

[Can o Beans]

6. I wish i could be more optimistic

The media just don't seem to have the stomach to actually chase a republican into a corner and force the issue. If this was about an intern and a BJ, it'd never die. But eventually - they always get bored when the subject is no longer selling papers.

I'm convinced he'll just ride the storm out until the eventual next new amazing subject distracts them and then we'll look like the birthers who won't let the subject die.

[cbrer]

7. THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL NEVER STOP YELLING

Loud and clear of the imperialistic, exclusive nature of this man who would be leader of the free world.

You can take that to the bank!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

21. You would be a lot better off taking it to a credit union.

[cbrer]

36. Already have

On a suggestion from this board as a matter of fact. Been ~60 days. Goodbye Bank of America...

[patrice]

8. Agree. & Even the Republicans who are bitching will vote for him anyway. What they are doing right

now is building the cudgel that they intend to use on him if they get him into office.

[JHB]

9. It's still too early to fret like that

Stonewalling until the Media and/or Democrats cave for fear of the appearance of "liberal bias" or of hyperpartisanship has been the Republican MO for decades, but already there is enough different aspects to this that it's overly-pseeimistic to throw in the towel now.

1) Mitt is not in a position of power here. He's trying to gain power, not keep it. He can be made to look weak and shifty as long as the pressure is kept up.

2) The Obama camp seems a lot more inclined to be aggressive and keep the heat up than his Democratic predecessors.

3) the documentation looks clearer and easier to grasp than usual: he says 1999, docs say 2001, 2002. His Dad released 12 years, him only 2 (eventually).

Time will tell, but the old playbook seems a bit frayed from overuse, and may be getting a replacement.

[SoutherDem]

10. You could be right

We have the Olympics soon then a few weeks after RNC convention so it will fall out of the MSM but then we have the DNC convention. It very well may resurface then and may or may not have legs.

Only time will tell, but as to the polls, it is to the MSM for the polls to stay close. I don't trust them much especially before the conventions.

[RedStateLiberal]

11. i believe the continual onslaught of ads will keep the media from moving on.

All Dems have to do is keep hitting him on this issue and the media will have to cover it. With prominent Repubs also calling for him to release the returns we have a lot of ammunition. You know how the meida loves to play up anything controversial. All it takes is one ad that gets the right-wing fake outrage enflamed and the media will have to talk about it. They thrive on conflict because that generates ratings.

Plus, it's easy to relate the tax returns to many of the issues too. Rmoney mentions tax policy. Bring up his tax returns. Rmoney mentions his business experience. Bring up his tax returns. Rmoney mentions his horse in the Olympics. Bring up his tax returns. etc etc etc.

[PoliticAverse]

12. He can certainly not release them, but it will cost him with the electorate. n/t

[DemocracyInaction]

13. Sadly

He - as he has said - will release 2011 after it is cleaned up and most moron Americans will say "there, he did it; now shut up Dems". Never underestimate how dumb this country is.

[KurtNYC]

14. First, his tax dance is moving the numbers. Bain moves them more but the tax thing

and his suspicious dodge of it are helping:

Polls suggest controversies over Romney’s taxes and tenure at Bain Capital are hurting his poll numbers when voters are asked how he’s running his campaign.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-race-dispute-over-romneys-tax-returns-and-finances-could-be-costing-him-politically/2012/07/18/gJQAOqRntW_story.html

Second, not releasing them is worse so I hope Mitt stays with his position of not releasing them.

Third, they just might leak out if he doesn't release them.

[Can o Beans]

18. Thanks for the polling info

Up to now it has been hard to see that the unreleased tax returns are having any real effect.

As a previous reply poster noted, I think it's upon us, to keep the drip coming. the challenge will be doing it in such a way that the media continues to notice and doesn't get bored.

I have a lot of faith in the campaign, based on what we seen so far. But I have a clue little faith in the mainstream media keeping this ball float. We're going to have to be creative, be tenacious, and never stop.

[Gothmog]

15. The issue will not go away

The longer Romney delays, the worse that it is going to look for him. This story is not going to go away

[Hell Hath No Fury]

16. He may never release them -

but that doesn't mean they will not get out there. I suspect there are smart folks in the McCain camp that might find a way to sandbag Mitt if they are feeling it.

[Can o Beans]

24. Hmmmm

Now wouldn't that be tasty? One has to wonder, whether the McCain people whatever do such a thing.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

25. McCain's own people torpedoed Sarah --

They leaked like sieves to the press about her many faults. Perhaps someone will view Mitt with the same horror.

[quinnox]

17. yep. And it is a very dry issue that most Americans won't care

about. That is why there isn't any movement in the polls. Most Americans aren't paying attention to politics during the summer. And honestly, fudging on some obscure tax form isn't an exciting or compelling issue, hell, many Americans would consider that either no big deal or something to be proud of! It's not like many people have much sympathy for the IRS.

I'm afraid a lot of duers are fooling themselves if they think this is a serious scandal or it will help Obama in the election.

[progressivebydesign]

20. couldn't disagree more. I'm watching the comments on the news sites..

.. and it's NOT favorable for Romney, even with the conservatives. Ignore the stupid polls.. they don't matter.

[Are_grits_groceries]

23. Americans understand taxes.

They may not understand all the ins and outs, but they know what that means. People have to show their tax returns to buy houses and other processes.

Mittens not showing his will stick. What's he hiding? People know they can't get away with monkey buiness so what has he been up to?

They will remember that he has been adamant about not showing them if it is coninually pushed. I would push it until the election is over.

[emulatorloo]

35. Wishful thinking.

People don't like it when rich people don't pay taxes.

[progressivebydesign]

19. Please ignore the polls. It's going to be a long time til November...

Focus on more productive things. I've been seeing too many poll-related posts lately.

Donate, volunteer, and post things that contribute to the conversation. Poll posts are hand-wringing here, and not particularly helpful in the long run.

Give it time.. it's working. My hardcore right wing wacko neighbors were overhead today saying that "nothing is going to change either way no matter who wins." For them to say that.. it's big.

Ignore the polls.. put your head down and help us re-elect the President.

[Can o Beans]

22. You have exactly the right attitude.

I know, that we have to look at this, as just one chip from the Romney foundation.

Still, it would be nice to know that in three months we're not viewed in much the same way as Orley Taitz, when we bring up this issue.

The president and his campaign team will have to be very creative moving forward, in my opinion, in order to keep the subject alive. That, and I'm sure there're a few more interesting surprises in store.

[Yeah Its Spin]

29. We could only look like

Orley Taitz, when we bring up this issue, IF he releases all of his taxes. Then we scream for pictures of every one of his tax preparers.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. You may be too "young" around here to remember it, but I get flashbacks to

when we were ll waiting for Fitzmas.

It never came.

[Hoyt]

30. That was a real disappointment.

[RevStPatrick]

31. Of course he'll get away with it.

He's not required to release anything to anyone.
He's 35, was born in this country and has been living here for more than 14 years.
That's all that's required of him.
Of course he'll get away with not releasing his tax records.

Of course, he also won't win the presidency, so it doesn't really matter.

[spanone]

32. convince me you're right.

[Hoyt]

33. Failure to release them is probably as damaging as giving them up.

While I think the tax returns will reflect negatively on him among folks like us, I'm a bit concerned there is nothing in them that will really hurt him among those who might vote for him.

If that's the case, Romney could sandbag awhile longer, then do like Obama when Trump was whining about the birth certificate - he essentially let the right wingers scream/holler for weeks, then crammed the document up Trump's ass by releasing it.

[demwing]

34. We need a website that shows

a running count of how many minutes Romney has been stonewalling the calls for him to show his Tax returns, with links showing previous presidents and their tax records, bipartisan leaders who call for him to come clean, and a national petition with voters demanding he come clean.

Simple but iconic...and we should absolutely start the clock retroactively

[Summer Hathaway]

38. There is no way he will have 'gotten away' with anything.

Looks like Obama put the Crybaby-in-Chief in the corner, and there's no way out.

If he releases the returns, it will be damaging. (No other reason NOT to)

If he doesn't release them, people will assume there was something damaging - maybe even assume they are more damaging than they really are.

If he releases them, there are members of his party who will see him as weak in having caved to the pressure from the left.

If he doesn't release them, there are members of his party who will assume he has something to hide.

Romney has been tarred-and-feathered. And that shit ain't gonna wear off between now and November.

What the MSM reports or doesn't report between now and then is of little consequence. Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will flourish in the mind of voters to one extent or another - despite shiny objects being dangled in their faces.

[lastlib]

39. If he doesn't release them, it'll be a nice little cudgel to swing in a debate....

[Ruby the Liberal]

40. The seed is planted

and which is worse? The question hanging over his head (and all of the requisite speculation) or the after-release analysis?

If the Obama campaign can plant in the mind of the voters that this guy is shady and has something so bad to hide that he needs to hide in the first place - it won't matter one whit whether he releases them or not.

[Motown_Johnny]

41. he won't release returns and he won't win either

he is going to be hit with this every single day over and over again

this is political suicide

[Iggo]

42. He's already NOT getting away with it.

People from both sides are up his ass about it.