Obviously There is Something to Learn here

What we're looking at here, with Trump suggesting he won't release his federal tax documents, is nothing more than a trial balloon. The point being to gauge how much worse not releasing will be as opposed to the harm they already know is in store for them with a release.

And the amusing thing here, if you can stand back with a sense of cold pragmatism, is that he probably won't get much flack for not releasing. And why is that you might ask?

Mostly, I think, it is because he's so good at dismissing pretty much any criticism that gets thrown at him with an air of such haughty, and uncaring disdain, that he always gives the impression of not caring at all about what the charge of the moment might be. A characteristic that ties back into his sense of himself, and his power brand, that he's completely above any consequence for whatever lie, misdeed, or shortcoming he's actually responsible for. A disconnect leaping over whatever usual cognitive dissidence mere mortals are subject to that may be so complete as to shield him from any kind of guilt or shame. So much so that you could probably put him on a lie detector and he'd pass the test no matter what he was actually hiding.

Does that make him a sociopath? I certainly don't know. In fact, I'm not sure if having him being a sociopath would be worse than being merely so egotistically enamored with himself that he can pull that disconnect off. At least a sociopath has a chance at being quite logical in his emotional disconnection. But in either case, however, you would surely think having such a person in such a position of power is probably not a very good idea at all.

Unfortunately, when you, as a voter, buy into a brand, your own cognitive dissidence makes thinking objectively about the behavior thus committed to quite problematic. And mores the pity when considered in the context of Democracy as a whole. But then that's the place you put yourself into when you accept that everything is a part of the "hard sell." Ideas. Issues. Legislation, or people. Whatever it might be, to move it forward, you have to sell it. And if you don't care much about collateral damage, you use any means available to make the sale.

'Nothing to Learn': Trump Says He Likely Won't Release Taxes Until After November

by JANE C. TIMM and KATY TUR