It’s only in the last few weeks that people have started to examine Mitt Romney in detail, despite the fact that he has been running for president for five years.

For the first time, people are starting to discuss the specifics of what he did at Bain.

After 5 years of running for president, the question of why Mitt Romney has never released any of his tax returns has finally been raised. Releasing your tax returns is pro forma for most candidates–no big deal. Mitt Romney seems to be protecting his tax return information like a bulldog protecting a bone.

The GOP candidates have been debating constantly since May of 2011, yet it wasn’t until January of 2012 that someone asked specific, probing questions about Romney’s time as governor of Massachusetts. Other than RomneyCare, what does the average voter know about what Mitt Romney did as governor? Really, what? Name one thing you know Romney did as governor other than sign RomneyCare into law.

The main argument for nominating Mitt Romney is that he is the most electable candidate. But, part of being the most electable means there are no ticking time bombs in your past. In other words, you’ve been fully vetted.

One of Mitt Romney’s primary campaign strategies seems to be to avoid the vetting process at all cost. The phrase “Mittness Protection Program” is a joke, but it represents an underlying truth: Mitt Romney has tried to keep anyone from learning too much about him. He has refused to release his records, holds highly orchestrated public appearances that–like President Obama’s–seem to cross the line from orchestrated to scripted, and he has avoided interviews (at least the ones where he would receive tough questions) to the point that interviewers started to point out on their shows that they could get every GOP candidate but Mitt Romney to come on for an interview.

Whether there are any ticking time bombs in Romney’s past is unknown at this point, because his past hasn’t been fully vetted. One thing we do know for sure: we need to find out now, not wait until after he’s nominated. Because, you can rest assured that whatever Mitt Romney may be keeping undercover by hindering the vetting process now certainly will come out after he secures the GOP nomination, and it will be used by the Democrats to attack Mitt Romney in the general election.