nhboy
08-04-2012, 06:31 AM
Link to original article. (http://www.salon.com/2012/08/03/10_theories_on_romneys_taxes_salpart/)
"Everyone knows it's something that would damage his candidacy, but nobody knows exactly what it is"
"Mitt Romney knows how to do a cost-benefit analysis, and he’s determined that it’s better to be dogged by reporters for failing to release his tax returns for the duration of the 2012 campaign than it is to make the documents public. Never mind that a majority of Americans – and a third of Republicans – think he should come clean.
It’s beyond obvious that whatever’s in those returns must be enough to do serious damage to Romney, or even sink his candidacy completely.
What might it be, exactly? In the vacuum Romney has created by not disclosing, any number of theories have been floated as to what his returns could reveal. For your convenience, we’ve collected 10 theories that are making the rounds in the political press."
. Mormon Tithes
Mormons are expected to fork over 10 percent of their income to the Church of Latter Day Saints. And that fact leads us to two theories.
First, Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press speculated that Romney doesn’t want to remind evangelical Christians that he belongs to what many consider a non-Christian “cult.” “The Republican candidate’s commitment to the church is a double-edged sword in the contest for the presidential nomination,” she wrote.
“Many GOP voters are Christians who do not consider Mormons to be part of historic Christianity. Romney supporters worry that details of his church donations contained in the tax returns could fuel opposition to him based on his religion.”
But it may be the other way around – perhaps he doesn’t want to piss off Mormons. After all, the right-wing Daily Caller reported that in 2010 and 2011, the two years for which Romney released partial returns, it looks like the former Mormon bishop under-tithed the church, paying 7 percent of his income one year and 9.7 percent over the two-year period.
As the Caller noted, “Romney recently told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, ‘I made a commitment to my church a long, long time ago that I would give 10 percent of my income to the church, and I’ve followed through on that commitment. So, if I had given less than 10 percent, then I think people would have to look at me and say, ‘Hey, what’s wrong with you fella — don’t you follow through on your promises?’”
Of course, if he were sheltering additional income in offshore accounts, then the degree to which the Caller says he shortchanged the Mormons might be even greater."
"Everyone knows it's something that would damage his candidacy, but nobody knows exactly what it is"
"Mitt Romney knows how to do a cost-benefit analysis, and he’s determined that it’s better to be dogged by reporters for failing to release his tax returns for the duration of the 2012 campaign than it is to make the documents public. Never mind that a majority of Americans – and a third of Republicans – think he should come clean.
It’s beyond obvious that whatever’s in those returns must be enough to do serious damage to Romney, or even sink his candidacy completely.
What might it be, exactly? In the vacuum Romney has created by not disclosing, any number of theories have been floated as to what his returns could reveal. For your convenience, we’ve collected 10 theories that are making the rounds in the political press."
. Mormon Tithes
Mormons are expected to fork over 10 percent of their income to the Church of Latter Day Saints. And that fact leads us to two theories.
First, Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press speculated that Romney doesn’t want to remind evangelical Christians that he belongs to what many consider a non-Christian “cult.” “The Republican candidate’s commitment to the church is a double-edged sword in the contest for the presidential nomination,” she wrote.
“Many GOP voters are Christians who do not consider Mormons to be part of historic Christianity. Romney supporters worry that details of his church donations contained in the tax returns could fuel opposition to him based on his religion.”
But it may be the other way around – perhaps he doesn’t want to piss off Mormons. After all, the right-wing Daily Caller reported that in 2010 and 2011, the two years for which Romney released partial returns, it looks like the former Mormon bishop under-tithed the church, paying 7 percent of his income one year and 9.7 percent over the two-year period.
As the Caller noted, “Romney recently told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, ‘I made a commitment to my church a long, long time ago that I would give 10 percent of my income to the church, and I’ve followed through on that commitment. So, if I had given less than 10 percent, then I think people would have to look at me and say, ‘Hey, what’s wrong with you fella — don’t you follow through on your promises?’”
Of course, if he were sheltering additional income in offshore accounts, then the degree to which the Caller says he shortchanged the Mormons might be even greater."