Bernie's 2020 Campaign: August 2016 - At least through April, apparently

DaveSchmidt said:
I can think of public-awareness reasons that an interested citizen would like a leading candidate’s tax returns to be released, without an ulterior motive. It sounds like you can’t. And so it goes.

 I guess I could understand it better if there were another candidate whose taxes are also being requested regularly on twitter.  Can you explain why out of all the candidates ONLY Bernie is getting this request?  And never from people that would vote for him.  Hmmmm. 


South_Mountaineer said:
 
He was running for the nomination right up until the very end.  It's no excuse that he didn't get the nomination, as a primary candidate he should have released more tax returns.
You would be the first to criticize Hillary Clinton if she wasn't sharing her tax returns.  In fact, she released them a year before.
https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-releases-eight-years-of-tax-returns-120882
So Bernie did "get away with it".  That's because he wasn't really vetted.  He's being vetted now, and he and his supporters better get used to it.

 That's such a joke.  Do you read the odious and loony Palmer report, or something?  Bernie has been vetted since day 1.  He broke some kind of record with the Washington Post:

Washington Post Ran 16 Negative Stories on Bernie Sanders in 16 Hours

https://fair.org/home/washington-post-ran-16-negative-stories-on-bernie-sanders-in-16-hours/

The New York Times was not much better.  


nan said:

 I guess I could understand it better if there were another candidate whose taxes are also being requested regularly on twitter.  Can you explain why out of all the candidates ONLY Bernie is getting this request?  And never from people that would vote for him.  Hmmmm. 

I’ve explained a couple of times: He’s considered a front runner, and he’s had years to prepare. I’ll add another reason: When you’re a democratic socialist with a platform that makes economic inequality a central plank, expectations that you disclose details about your personal finances will rise.


jamie said:
I think it comes down to what Bernie's interpretation of "soon" is.  We will see.
Had any other candidate said this - nan would also be wondering what "soon" meant.  And I think it's this hypocrisy that is fueling the tax issue.  
What if Bernie earned 2 million dollars and paid no taxes?  Would this be an issue? 

 The only reason to demand tax returns is if the candidate has suspicious national and international business dealings. Trump certainly had that and his tax returns were a major big deal.  The Clintons had perhaps something important to see because of the Foundation and maybe speeches, but I'm not even sure there.  I don't remember viewing that as important, but perhaps it was.  Of the candidates who have declared they are running for 2020, I can't think of  a single-one where I feel seeing their tax return immediately is a critical concern.  If they get the nomination, then I expect them to submit them, but I don't expect to see anything of concern for any of them.  My mind would be changed if it were revealed that say, Amy Klobucher had a side business in Turkey or Beto was designing clothes for the German market.  Otherwise. it's a big nothing burger.


nan said:

If they get the nomination, then I expect them to submit them, but I don't expect to see anything of concern for any of them.  

 Why the expectation in the general election but not in the race for the nomination?


DaveSchmidt said:
 Why the expectation in the general election but not in the race for the nomination?

 Cause none of them are Trump.  I suppose they will all provide them before though, and I'm sure Bernie will cause everyone is evidently very very concerned with his.  He wears that expensive Burton jacket so he must be hiding something (and no it can't be that his son worked for Burton and gave it to him as a gift). 


nan said:


jamie said:
I think it comes down to what Bernie's interpretation of "soon" is.  We will see.
Had any other candidate said this - nan would also be wondering what "soon" meant.  And I think it's this hypocrisy that is fueling the tax issue.  
What if Bernie earned 2 million dollars and paid no taxes?  Would this be an issue? 
 The only reason to demand tax returns is if the candidate has suspicious national and international business dealings. 

Are you saying there is no need to see Bernie's returns because you don't think he's had suspicious dealings? If not, then why bring this up? What you wrote sounded to me like "there's no need to see Bernie's tax return because he's not suspicious."

We may not know if anybody has had suspicious dealings until we see the tax returns. If Bernie has nothing to hide I'm sure it would be to his advantage to show us so. 

I'd like to see the returns of candidates before the primaries, allowing us to make informed decisions. I would hate to see anyone be nominated and then find out we're stuck with a lemon.


nan said:
 I guess I could understand it better if there were another candidate whose taxes are also being requested regularly on twitter.  Can you explain why out of all the candidates ONLY Bernie is getting this request?  And never from people that would vote for him.  Hmmmm. 

Other candidates have already released their taxes or are expected to. Bernie has a track record of delaying and then not releasing. 

And we’re not voting for Trump, but think he should release his returns. 


nan's acrobatics at justifying Bernie's delay on his tax release is hilarious.

In a system filled with conflicts of interest and money influence, one of the things we've gotten right in the last few decades is to demand this most basic of financial disclosures from our Presidential candidates. That Bernie continues to stall on this (he's been running for four freaking years now) should be very embarrassing to his supporters, except they appear to have few principles other than blind support.



drummerboy said:
nan's acrobatics at justifying Bernie's delay on his tax release is hilarious.

In a system filled with conflicts of interest and money influence, one of the things we've gotten right in the last few decades is to demand this most basic of financial disclosures from our Presidential candidates. That Bernie continues to stall on this (he's been running for four freaking years now) should be very embarrassing to his supporters, except they appear to have few principles other than blind support.


 Where is you call for the other candidates to submit their taxes?  Since losing the nomination, Bernie has not been a candidate until just a month ago.  Why should he have released his taxes?  Are you going to vote for Bernie?  Cause if not, why do you care unless it's just another way to smear him and waste how many posts has this non-issue taken up?  


South_Mountaineer said:
Other candidates have already released their taxes or are expected to. Bernie has a track record of delaying and then not releasing. 
And we’re not voting for Trump, but think he should release his returns. 

 Other candidates, but the majority have not.  Bernie delayed last time and then released and there was nothing. So, no indication that there is a problem.  Again, why are you picking on Bernie, a candidate you have made clear you hate.  Probably he is not because people like you are going to go through them and make a mountain out of every molehill, which I see on twitter everyday (previews of coming MOL attractions).


nan said:
 Where is you call for the other candidates to submit their taxes?  Since losing the nomination, Bernie has not been a candidate until just a month ago.  Why should he have released his taxes?  Are you going to vote for Bernie?  Cause if not, why do you care unless it's just another way to smear him and waste how many posts has this non-issue taken up?  

 yeah - you really don't get it, do you?

And by the way - show me one post where I "smeared" Bernie. I was the first person on MOL to voice support for him, and I have never unfairly criticized him. I'd vote for him in the general in an instant.

So, maybe you should can it on accusing me of stuff I haven't done. He is wrong to delay the release. The other candidates have just barely started to campaign - they still have time to release them. Bernie is way overdue. He should have done it in 2016.


drummerboy said:
 yeah - you really don't get it, do you?
And by the way - show me one post where I "smeared" Bernie. I was the first person on MOL to voice support for him, and I have never unfairly criticized him. I'd vote for him in the general in an instant.

So, maybe you should can it on accusing me of stuff I haven't done. He is wrong to delay the release. The other candidates have just barely started to campaign - they still have time to release them. Bernie is way overdue. He should have done it in 2016.

 He released taxes in 2016.  This demand for taxes is a smear.  The majority of candidates have not provided taxes.  The campaign just got going.  You are not voting for Bernie in the primary.  Enough.  There are enough posts on this topic.  I think everyone understands that the people who are not voting for Bernie in the primary think he should release his taxes.  Continuing to state this will not get the taxes submitted any faster.  I don't think there is anymore to say, but probably we will have 10 more posts. 


As the artcle posted by @author shows, only one year of Bernie’s returns were released. 


nan said:
 He released taxes in 2016.  This demand for taxes is a smear.  The majority of candidates have not provided taxes.  The campaign just got going.  You are not voting for Bernie in the primary.  Enough.  There are enough posts on this topic.  I think everyone understands that the people who are not voting for Bernie in the primary think he should release his taxes. 

 Everyone understands that these days people expect all the candidates to release their taxes. 


South_Mountaineer said:
 Everyone understands that these days people expect all the candidates to release their taxes. 

 Yup and Bernie understands that too.  Thank you for your patience.  


Here's an intelligent discussion of the Progressives in the 2020 race with an emphasis on strategy and on Bernie (which is why I posted it here and not the 2020 thread).  No mention of his taxes, so I hope our MOL anti-Berners will be able to keep up.  


nan said:

I think everyone understands that the people who are not voting for Bernie in the primary think he should release his taxes.  

Candidates should be expected to do only what the people who support them expect them to do.


DaveSchmidt said:
Candidates should be expected to do only what the people who support them expect them to do.

 Stop.  You made your point 5 posts ago.  By continuing you are making mine. 


nan said:

 Stop.  You made your point 5 posts ago.  By continuing you are making mine. 

That was my intent.

If you don’t wish to discuss something, you are always free to stop on your own.


A banner day in Nanworld


More on Bernie's Campaign Union


nan said:
More on Bernie's Campaign Union



 Is this the sort of excitement we have to look forward to?  lol


Nan has done a great job in convincing us. Not to vote for Bernie.


BG9 said:
Nan has done a great job in convincing us. Not to vote for Bernie.

 As if you were for him for even a second. 


BG9 said:
Nan has done a great job in convincing us. Not to vote for Bernie.

Patience. She’s still making her point.


DaveSchmidt said:
Patience. She’s still making her point.

My point has always been to choose your candidates primarily based on platform, funding, and history.  Identity (age, gender, race, cuteness and skateboarding ability) should be minimum considerations, although tenacity and focus are useful personality traits, and honesty ranks high too. 

I push for progressive candidates because I feel they fit that model the best and I want what you find on their platforms such as Medicare for All, A Green New Deal, etc. and I believe they honestly want those things and will fight for them.  I also think lots of people want these things, not just me.

People who chose candidates in a different way are probably not going to like what I have to say. Everyone has a right to their vote and I'm not shaming anyone, although don't forget we only have 12 years left to save the planet. . . grin


jamie said:
 Is this the sort of excitement we have to look forward to?  lol

 Support for unions.  So boring.  Who would want that?  Why bother with those working class deplorables when we can just focus on converting the moderate Republicans?  We know how to win!


We already heard about the Bernie unions - not sure what more a lame video adds to the news.


nan said:
 Where is you call for the other candidates to submit their taxes?  Since losing the nomination, Bernie has not been a candidate until just a month ago.  Why should he have released his taxes?  Are you going to vote for Bernie?  Cause if not, why do you care unless it's just another way to smear him and waste how many posts has this non-issue taken up?  

Bernie has not only "been a candidate until just a month ago".  He started "Our Revolution" in August 2016 (see thread title).  It was a placeholder and proxy for a 2020 campaign.  If you don't like that start date, pick the run-up to the 2018 midterms.  The point is that he didn't wake up a month ago and said to his wife, "Jane, I'm going to run again!"  Since he dawdled and only released one year the last time, he should have been cognizant of the issue and been ready, instead of fueling concerns.

If people are talking about his taxes, it's his own damn fault.


nohero said:


nan said:
 Where is you call for the other candidates to submit their taxes?  Since losing the nomination, Bernie has not been a candidate until just a month ago.  Why should he have released his taxes?  Are you going to vote for Bernie?  Cause if not, why do you care unless it's just another way to smear him and waste how many posts has this non-issue taken up?  
Bernie has not only "been a candidate until just a month ago".  He started "Our Revolution" in August 2016 (see thread title).  It was a placeholder and proxy for a 2020 campaign.  If you don't like that start date, pick the run-up to the 2018 midterms.  The point is that he didn't wake up a month ago and said to his wife, "Jane, I'm going to run again!"  Since he dawdled and only released one year the last time, he should have been cognizant of the issue and been ready, instead of fueling concerns.
If people are talking about his taxes, it's his own damn fault. 

 The college admission cheating scandal has drawn far more newsprint than Bernies taxes.

 Although I did see a few critical commets about his hair cut......or lack there of.

 Since Bernie has no other baggage,  why don't we run with that?


 


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