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Huff Post have this up today. lr:dr 'sources' inside Bain are saying that had Romney realised the tax issue would be this big and hard to kill then he probably wouldn't have run, because he really doesn't want to release the data.
I've been trying to work out his strategy on this and I'm really struggling. George Will really nailed it: in one form or another this man has been running for President since 2002, and definitely since 2008 - why in the hell he didn't simplify his affairs is beyond me.
He's obviously done an analysis and decided that trying to tough it out is better than putting this stuff in the public domain. Given the way these things work, I think he'll start to find he can't keep it hidden.
The most likely options for me are:
1) In 2009 with loses from 2008 he just didn't pay much in tax. I doubt it was zero, but it's low enough to cause problems
2) He took advantage of a 2009 amnesty for tax avoidance and had been hiding money in Switzerland
3) He's just doesn't believe this stuff is anybody's business
Item 1: This is bad, but something that probably can be managed - I don't think it kills his chances, but it gives Obama a lot of help
Item 2: Dead. Stick a fork in him, he's done, that's it. He's out of the race - I find this REALLY unlikely - but there is no way he could even go forward if it turned out that he'd actually been avoiding tax and had had to take advantage of an amnesty to avoid legal stuff
Item 3: Man up dude. You're running for President it's a VERY public job
So... Given (2) or (3) has there ever been a situation where a candidate has dropped out before the Convention? What are the parliamentary rules in that event?
I've been trying to work out his strategy on this and I'm really struggling. George Will really nailed it: in one form or another this man has been running for President since 2002, and definitely since 2008 - why in the hell he didn't simplify his affairs is beyond me.
He's obviously done an analysis and decided that trying to tough it out is better than putting this stuff in the public domain. Given the way these things work, I think he'll start to find he can't keep it hidden.
The most likely options for me are:
1) In 2009 with loses from 2008 he just didn't pay much in tax. I doubt it was zero, but it's low enough to cause problems
2) He took advantage of a 2009 amnesty for tax avoidance and had been hiding money in Switzerland
3) He's just doesn't believe this stuff is anybody's business
Item 1: This is bad, but something that probably can be managed - I don't think it kills his chances, but it gives Obama a lot of help
Item 2: Dead. Stick a fork in him, he's done, that's it. He's out of the race - I find this REALLY unlikely - but there is no way he could even go forward if it turned out that he'd actually been avoiding tax and had had to take advantage of an amnesty to avoid legal stuff
Item 3: Man up dude. You're running for President it's a VERY public job
So... Given (2) or (3) has there ever been a situation where a candidate has dropped out before the Convention? What are the parliamentary rules in that event?
