Poll shows Americans want to see Romney's tax returns

(CNN) – A majority of Americans say presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney should release income tax information beyond the two years he's already disclosed.

The USA Today/Gallup survey showed 54% of those surveyed felt Romney should release tax returns from additional years, compared to 37% who said Romney should not release more returns.

Poll shows Americans want to see Romney’s tax returns – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

But he can't release them because whatever he is hiding is WORSE than dissapointing 54% of voters? No wonder the whole GOP is in such a tizzy.
Maybe if he picks Donald Trump for VP people will forget about the tax returns?

This game is played every 4 years. And every 4 years the incumbent claims the challenger is hiding something. And every 4 years the challenger releases the records. And every 4 years the news story is that there is no story.

What is taking so long? Romney has to have an accountant go through and audit the returns for accuracy. Then he has to go through and redact every bit of personal information (i.e. social security numbers and tax ID numbers) and then it can be released. Even if he doesn't, no one will care in the end. The real issue is the economy and when push comes to shove, the best plan will win, not the guy that showed more years of his tax returns.

iguanaman said:

(CNN) – A majority of Americans say presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney should release income tax information beyond the two years he's already disclosed.

The USA Today/Gallup survey showed 54% of those surveyed felt Romney should release tax returns from additional years, compared to 37% who said Romney should not release more returns.

Poll shows Americans want to see Romney’s tax returns – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

But he can't release them because whatever he is hiding is WORSE than dissapointing 54% of voters? No wonder the whole GOP is in such a tizzy.
Maybe if he picks Donald Trump for VP people will forget about the tax returns?

Click to expand...

Here is the actual poll:

Majority of Americans Want Romney to Release Tax Returns

Anyway, it would appear this is something serious but, it's really not. A huge majority of Democrats want him to release them, Republicans don't - big deal. What really matters is how Independents view it. That's where Romney will win / lose the 2012 Election. 53% think he should release them, while 36% do not. So - Independents want him to release it. Why?



Again, Independents are what really matters. Both parties are leaning to their exact side (as should be expected). Democrats think it will at least harm his campaign, Republicans don't. Nothing new there. Independents seem to be split on whether it would be harmful or not. 45% think it will hurt Romney while 40% do not. Not a huge difference there and is, probably, well within a margin of error of either side.



Finally, we have whether they are relevant or not. Again, both parties voted along their respected line typically. Also, Independents basically split the vote.

Long story short - nothing changes - nothing is new. You seem to think this is a huge deal and it's really not. Democrats think this will break the Romney campaign (as they seem desperate to try and derail him) and Republicans seem willfully ignorant that this could harm him. If Romney wants to release them, he will. If not, he won't. You won't vote for him anyway, so why does it bother you?

14.9% Real Unemployment > Romney's Tax Returns

zgoldsmith23 said:

Here is the actual poll:

Majority of Americans Want Romney to Release Tax Returns

Anyway, it would appear this is something serious but, it's really not. A huge majority of Democrats want him to release them, Republicans don't - big deal. What really matters is how Independents view it. That's where Romney will win / lose the 2012 Election. 53% think he should release them, while 36% do not. So - Independents want him to release it. Why?

Click to expand...

Almost 10% of independents think that his returns would show something that makes him unfit to be president. Almost half think they would show something damaging. That is quite significant.

AdamT said:

Almost 10% of independents think that his returns would show something that makes him unfit to be president. Almost half think they would show something damaging. That is quite significant.

Click to expand...

I see your point, but 14% didn't have an opinion. I would tend to think that 10% had no intention of really voting for him, anyway. I said:

45% think it will hurt Romney while 40% do not.

Click to expand...

That 14% really could make a difference, and this could be a close election.

ksu_aviator said:

This game is played every 4 years. And every 4 years the incumbent claims the challenger is hiding something. And every 4 years the challenger releases the records. And every 4 years the news story is that there is no story.

What is taking so long? Romney has to have an accountant go through and audit the returns for accuracy. Then he has to go through and redact every bit of personal information (i.e. social security numbers and tax ID numbers) and then it can be released. Even if he doesn't, no one will care in the end. The real issue is the economy and when push comes to shove, the best plan will win, not the guy that showed more years of his tax returns.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info about why the delay in releasing his other returns. It's strange that he confided this to you in such detail yet has not announced any such thing to the rest of us. So you are saying that Romney changed his mind again? I think your info is false. There is something very damaging in those returns of Obama wouldn't be pressing him so. He CAN'T release them or run from them. He could always make a "I am not a crook" speech but I'm not sure he will do that either.

iguanaman said:

(CNN) – A majority of Americans say presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney should release income tax information beyond the two years he's already disclosed.

The USA Today/Gallup survey showed 54% of those surveyed felt Romney should release tax returns from additional years, compared to 37% who said Romney should not release more returns.

Poll shows Americans want to see Romney’s tax returns – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

But he can't release them because whatever he is hiding is WORSE than dissapointing 54% of voters? No wonder the whole GOP is in such a tizzy.
Maybe if he picks Donald Trump for VP people will forget about the tax returns?

Click to expand...

No, no... that can't be true. I heard it this morning on Fox News, America isn't interested in Romney's tax return. In fact, we are all annoyed that people are wasting there time on this preventing us from talking about the real issues: listening to Mitt tell us what is wrong with Obama's economic policies. That is only issue in this election we are interested in. Surely you were informed of this on Fox and Fiends?

I want to see Obama's grades. Therefore.... what?

His tax records are a lose for Romney, showing them or not....I doubt very seriously there isnt something in them he does NOT want america to see...Im not saying anything illegal...but something that will not help get him elected.

AdamT said:

Almost 10% of independents think that his returns would show something that makes him unfit to be president. Almost half think they would show something damaging. That is quite significant.

Click to expand...

That 10% probably wouldn't have voted for Romney anyway. As long as he doesn't release them its the 14% who don't have an opinion that really matter. As of right now, the nearly 50-50 split of independents about whether or not its damaging makes me believe this isn't having a significant effect on the election quite yet. If the 14% start to break toward the tax returns being harmful information, then he'll have something to really worry about.

Unless he releases them and there is harmful information in them, I doubt this will be a big issue come campaign time.

Anagram said:

That 10% probably wouldn't have voted for Romney anyway.

Click to expand...

And you know this how? That is 10% of independents, by definition meaning that they can go either way.

I agree that this isn't going to be a big issue, but it's going to be a close election where even small issues can turn the tide.

iguanaman said:

Thanks for the info about why the delay in releasing his other returns. It's strange that he confided this to you in such detail yet has not announced any such thing to the rest of us. So you are saying that Romney changed his mind again? I think your info is false. There is something very damaging in those returns of Obama wouldn't be pressing him so. He CAN'T release them or run from them. He could always make a "I am not a crook" speech but I'm not sure he will do that either.

Click to expand...

You think there is something very damaging because you wish there was something very damaging. It is a tax return, not a criminal affidavit.

AdamT said:

And you know this how? That is 10% of independents, by definition meaning that they can go either way.

Click to expand...

That's not what independent means. Most independents actually are not swing voters. Last election, only 11% of independent voters changed there minds about who to vote for sometime during the year. I'd guess that based on their response that 10% probably wouldn't vote for Romney anyway.

This doesn't actually change my opinion on the matter what so ever in terms of whether he should or shouldn't release in terms of what is politically intelligent. If you want to see my reasoning, feel free to read it in full and join the discussion on the thread linked in my quote line. Yes...people want him to release his tax returns, but it's ridiculous to think that will 1) end the trouble and 2) that the resulting trouble won't be more damaging. Wanting him to release it doesn't equate to "won't vote for him if he doesn't release it'.

ksu_aviator said:

This game is played every 4 years. And every 4 years the incumbent claims the challenger is hiding something. And every 4 years the challenger releases the records. And every 4 years the news story is that there is no story.

What is taking so long? Romney has to have an accountant go through and audit the returns for accuracy. Then he has to go through and redact every bit of personal information (i.e. social security numbers and tax ID numbers) and then it can be released. Even if he doesn't, no one will care in the end.

The real issue is the economy and when push comes to shove, the best plan will win, not the guy that showed more years of his tax returns.

Click to expand...

Agreed!

This information was very interesting.



There are roughly 123 million taxpayers who earn under $100,000, or about 88 percent of the 140 million Americans who filed a tax return in 2009. In other words, 88 percent of all taxpayers pay 8 percent or less of their income in income taxes.

Which gets us back to Mitt Romney's effective tax rate of 14 percent, after deductions. As the chart shows, this rate is still higher than the average rate paid by taxpayers earning up to $200,000. There are about 136 million taxpayers who have adjusted gross incomes less than $200,000, or 97 percent of all taxpayers. So even with an average tax rate of 14 percent, Romney paid a higher average rate than 97 percent of his fellow Americans

Source: Even at 14%, Romney Pays a Higher Rate than 97% of His Fellow Americans | Tax Foundation