Is Romney a target for extortion/blackmail?

[Blackhatjack]

In every high profile campaign for national office there are people who may possess knowledge of a candidate's conduct which could be classified as 'damaging or embarrassing.' It is for that reason that prior to announcing a run for president the wannabe candidate has a background check done by their own people to discover the potential landmines that could end her/his campaign.

The equation for disaster is: First, to have an event in the potential candidate's background that could sway public opinion against the candidate if it were to become known, and second, the evidence of the damaging/embarrassing information is known by too many people to ensure the information does not become public.

It appears something in Romney's unreleased tax returns qualifies as damaging/embarrassing, and that more than a handful of people are privvy to that information.

Since the information has yet to be released to the public, and has not yet destroyed his candidacy, does the threat that the information might be made public by one of these individuals with the information not place him in danger of being a target for extortion or blackmail?

The 'art of gentle persuasion' used to secure perks or positions after the candidate wins the election may look completely different depending upon who knew what about the damaging/embarrassing information that never came out.

IMHO there is no way to remove this appearance of vulnerability other than to make a full disclosure of the damaging/embarrassing information before any perks or positions are handed out. That is why candidates pay dearly for campaign consultants who can craft 'damage control' by spinning the consequences of the disclosure, rather than gamble that the information will not come out.

It might be an appropriate question to ask Romney, and yet another good reason for Romney to remove all doubt by releasing his tax returns for the last 10 years.

[Politicalboi]

1. This is Rmoney's

Don't Ask Don't Tell.

[ProSense]

2. That's a

"Is Romney a target for extortion/blackmail?"

...good question.

EXCLUSIVE: Romney Bundler A Registered Foreign Agent For Hong Kong
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021018568

Romney Fundraiser Host Bankrolled Right-Wing Group That Wants To Bomb Iran
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002921258

[moondust]

3. Security clearance background checks

are supposed to discover any blackmail vulnerabilities for obvious national security reasons but...it's probably unlikely they would deny a security clearance to a Presidential candidate. I don't know how that works for elected officials.

[Zax2me]

4. By default, yes, it would appear so.

Maybe he's thinking winning the White House will offer up protection?!

[Kablooie]

6. It would be pretty scary if a president could be blackmailed like that.

[Lugnut]

5. K&R n/t

[David Zephyr]

7. Valid argument and interesting angle you pose

It merits discussion.

[Kalidurga]

8. How do we know he isn't being blackmailed now?

Maybe the person who gave Harry Reid info is also blackmailing Romney. Maybe that was like a warning shot. Who knows. What is certain is Romney has had a lot of shady dealings and the people that he has had shady dealings with probably don't play nice.

[HopeHoops]

9. One can only hope.

[Blackhatjack]

10. Did anyone notice ...

The Romney campaign floated the prospect that Romney had made up his mind and could name his VP running mate at any time. That was over a week ago.

Of course such statements are good for shifting the focus from something you would rather not talk about to something else.

But in the case of his VP pick you can bet that the Repub Tea Party members are watching very closely, and are making their wishes known to Romney as to who would be acceptable to them. At the same time there are still rumblings that the Tea Party members will take down any Repub candidate that does not toe their line of extreme positions, and some are still talking about a brokered convention if Romney does not pick their choice(see threads at FR).

Any other time the demands of the Tea Party minority in the Repub Party could be brushed off without much thought. But what if Palin, Demint, and other Tea Party 'darlin's' have knowledge of damaging/embarrassing information that could sink Romney? Wouldn't Romney have to consider their demands in a whole different light as long as that damaging/embarrassing information in his prior year tax returns remains undisclosed?(even if those individuals' statements were perfectly non-threatening in nature).

This is all conjecture, but it is a fact that not another peep has been heard from the Romney campaign as to an announcement of his VP pick. So the statement he had made up his mind as to his choice and would announce it soon was either wrong or he is having to reconsider his final decision.

[cleduc]

11. Clearly, like Nixon's "I have nothing to hide", Romney must have assessed

that the political damage from showing his tax returns outweighs the damage for not showing his tax returns.

Mitt has something to hide.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/13/grover-norquist-speech-cpac.html
"All we have to do is replace Obama. ... We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We don't need a president to tell us in what direction to go. We know what direction to go. We want the Ryan budget. ... We just need a president to sign this stuff. We don't need someone to think it up or design it. " Grover Norquist

The McCain camp reportedly got 23 Romney tax returns when evaluating him as a VP candodate. So the GOP has the dirt to keep their puppet President in line.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. There is no better way to destroy the force of secrets

than airing them in public. You are correct.

[Blackhatjack]

13. So true .... but it could cost Romney the Election

For someone who has tried to become President so long, it will be hard to do the right thing when the realization hits that he is giving up what is likely his last shot at the Oval Office.

I don't have the feeling that Romney will come clean. His history to is drag things out to the last possible moment.

And that could make him extremely vulnerable to extortion/blackmail.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. And at that momemt it becomes a national security matter