The DNC and/or state orgs should change their rules

[Gothmog]

28. There are two separate issues-(i) state law on ballot access and (ii) party rules/platform

There is a body of law dealing with ballot access and there are separate party rules/policies that are applicable in the real world. For example, I had fun updating the Victory Counsel program memorandum on how to get Hillary Clinton on the ballot for the Texas primary. It helped that I am friends with the person at the Texas Democratic Party in charge of this process. The state party and the DNC party could adopt rules as to who qualifies as a candidate and there are strong reasons why the party should take a strong position on requiring the release of tax returns.

Democratic members of Congress has repeatedly demanded that Trump release his tax returns and have forced votes on this issue https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-democrats-petition-for-president-trumps-tax-returns/ It is impossible to imagine the party allowing a nominee to get on the ballot if that nominee does not release their tax returns. Senator Wyden has proposed a federal law to require release of tax returns that reflects the views of most democrats https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/03/blue-state-lawmakers-want-to-keep-trump-off-2020-ballot-unless-he-releases-tax-returns/?utm_term=.d1409fba86aa

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in May introduced a federal bill requiring major-party candidates to release their returns, but that legislation didn't advance in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Second, states each have the right to adopt rules as to ballot access. These laws tend to favor the two national parties. Several states are proposing laws that would require a candidate to release their tax returns to get onto the ballot https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/03/blue-state-lawmakers-want-to-keep-trump-off-2020-ballot-unless-he-releases-tax-returns/?utm_term=.d1409fba86aa

Lawmakers in several deep-blue states want to require presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the ballot in those states, a sharp rebuke of President-elect Donald Trump's ongoing refusal to make his tax records public.

A pair of Maryland Democrats on Tuesday announced they would introduce a bill mandating the release of five years of tax returns, mirroring similar proposals in New York, Massachusetts, California and Maine.

If approved, the proposals could keep Trump from appearing on some ballots in 2020 if he continues breaking with the decades-long tradition of financial transparency and decides to seek a second term.

These states are all blue states and I doubt that anyone can win the Democratic nomination without being on the ballots in these states. I personally think that these laws are valid

I see nothing wrong with various deep blue states, the Democratic Party or multiple state parties adopting rules requiring that candidates to provide their tax returns. I cannot imagine the party nominating anyone who does not release their tax returns. Such a nomination would concede a key issue against trump and mean that the actions taken by House Democrats to force votes on the release of Trump's tax returns were wasted efforts.