PUBLIC OPINION > Liberals Want to See Romney's Tax Returns, Conservatives Think It's Just a Distraction
SodaHead News
2012/08/07 22:00:00
No presidential election is complete without its share of drama. Each candidate will be faced with the ghosts of their past -- some real, and some imagined. Right now, Mitt Romney's tax returns are holding the public's attention. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claims he heard from a "reputable source" that Romney didn't pay taxes for a decade. Romney has already released some of his returns, but there's still a gap in the record. We asked the public if Romney should release more records.
We were hoping for some consensus, but no such luck. Responses were split down the middle, and can you guess what the determining factor was? But first, we wanted to call attention to an interesting argument mentioned in the Top Opinion: "We have it from a very reliable source that Harry Reid is a pedophile." This is a very popular response calling attention to the similarities between Reid's "reputable source" and tabloid rumors. Now, let's get to the stats.
All Politics
Naturally, the biggest difference between people who think Romney should release his tax returns and those who think it's a distraction is their political alignment. Most liberals want to see them, and most conservatives don't. That suggests the shoe would be on the other foot if the parties were reversed.
Big Money, Blind Eye
There was also a correlation between income and response, but there are a couple of issues with that. First of all, income typically correlates with political alignment, meaning the relation between income and response could be directly caused by politics. But it should also come as no surprise that well-off respondents are more likely to call it a distraction.
Young and Suspicious
Another factor that could have affected the income correlation is the age breakdown. Younger respondents were much more likely to want to see Romney's returns. Again, age and politics often line up, so all three of these demographics are probably somewhat linked. Young, left-leaning people with smaller incomes want to make sure Romney is playing fair.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll on Mitt Romney's tax returns. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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PAUL F 2012/08/07 22:37:51
+17I like the idea that Obama needs to show his High School and collage transcripts! As well as his bar exam test scores! This man is suppose to be a scholar! Producing his applications and documentation on the subjects Obama has hear say about is fair game! So, I say to all you communist out there! If you want to see 10 years of tax returns then we want to see proof of his education! Not just a diploma but TRANSCRIPTS!!!! If not, this is a dead issue!
He, of course, was talking about himself!!
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That doesn't make Mitt Romney very credible does it?
His refusal to release his tax records puts his character in question, and it puts his claims of financial mastery or even his financial competency into question.
And STILL, he refuses to release his tax records, which can only mean that whatever he is hiding would absolutely sink him as a candidate if the nation found out about it.
An American citizen would have to be a fool to vote for Mitt Romney.
and is intelligent..and rich! Class warfare anyone?
Rich is not a dirty word except when it's a Conservative who created wealth. What he did for himself, he can do for our country.
Check out the list of millionaires in your Congress and no one gets to see how they got rich........ as public servants....hmm!
Not releasing his tax records has more to do with privacy issues ...and the fact that it is not required that nosy liberals get to muck around in his personal financial records, looking for red herrings!
Romney became governor in 2002, just after the first GW Bush recession was over, and the entire national economy was picking up.
Romney rode a reviving national economy for the next four years. He could have just stood back and done nothing, and the jobs would have come back.
Obama, on the other hand, took over when the national economy was headed down at a steep spiral, and it took a lot just to put the brakes on and stop the slide. GW's Great Recession is over, and things are picking up, but of course we need more jobs.
If you think Romney would have done better, you're insane. With Romney as President, we would be deep in the depths of the worst DEPRESSION in history. GM and Chrysler would have gone completely belly up, and the ripples from that disaster would have caused job losses across the nation.
As far as Romney releasing his tax information is concerned . . . Romney is TERRIFIED at the prospect.
Obviously Mitt Bundy has a LOT to hide.
It's really too bad the Republicans could not find an honorable candidate to run for President.
ROMNEY gets to retain his privacy and that's what America is all about. Is it not?
OBAMA has spent millions to seal/hide whatever he wanted to keep undercover, for whatever reason, and strangely that doesn't put your knickers in a twist! Liberal hypocrisy at work.
I'll bet ROMNEY will show what his returns, if OBAMA will show what he is "hiding"! Try being an "EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SNOOP" and we might have a meeting of the minds.
You are obviously an Obamabot. Therefore we all know your treatise above is culled from Obama campaign literature...waste of my time to address it:-)
Have a nice day.
http://factcheck.org/2012/07/...
Obama has been the most vetted and scrutinized President in the history of the United States.
How many other Presidents have released their birth certificates? None.
And Obama has released 12 years of his tax returns.
http://www.taxhistory.org/www...
Fair is fair.
We need to see 12 years of Shifty Mitt's tax returns. We need to see his Birth Certificate.
And while we're at it, let's see his school transcripts.
Shifty Mitt is especially afraid to release those tax returns though, isn't he?
It's too bad the Republicans could not produce an honorable Presidential candidate, isn't it?
it really is . . . Don't you think. But I am not surprised. After all, Modern Republicans are soooooooooo repugnant. Such cheats and liars!
It's not surprising that their like-minded leaders would also be of low character.
I don't suffer abuse by anyone, much less a SH poster! Civility is the key!
If you are not aware that OBAMA has sealed all his records, you are too behind the times for this discussion to progress any further.
If you can't understand or admit that Romney is not LEGALLY REQUIRED to let an Obamabot or anyone muck around in his personal business, this dialogue is counterproductive and you are wasting my time...and yours!
Go ahead and have a good cry.
BTW, why is your fearful leader too terrified to release his tax records?
And don't accuse him of destroying this nation's credit rating.
You can blame the RWNJ dimiwits in the House of Representatives for that.
Tea Partiers are a disaster for this nation.
In fact, Right Wing Nut Jobs are this country's enemy number one.
They are just too dumb to know it.
So many of you Right Wing Idiots think that stupid graphics substitute for reason and logic.
Preposterous !
Your graphics are as lame as you are.
Don't you pathetic Right Wing Slime have an real pride at all?
Check your so-called facts before you declare them to be true.
What records has Obama sealed?
I gave you a link to factcheck.org that explains that in FACT Obama has not sealed his records.
So stop lying about it LIAR.
If all you're going to do is repeat a string of lies, then yes, absolutely any interaction with you is a waste of time.
By the way.
Why do YOU believe Mitt Bundy REFUSES to release his tax records?
Why is old shifty Mitt so secretive about his past?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Why do Right Wingers lie so much?
Does anyone know?
LIAR