The Ghost Candidate

I'm beginning to wonder about 8th District Republican congressional candidate Stephen Fincher. First, he announces that he won't debate his opponent, state Sen. Roy Herron, D-Dresden. Now, he announces that he won't release his income tax records. My question is, what is Fincher hiding?
I can understand why Fincher doesn't want to debate Herron. After all, Fincher is little more than an unpolished farmer and gospel singer from Frog Jump. He's a political neophyte. Herron, on the other hand is a polished, Vanderbilt-educated lawyer and a 20-year political veteran. Live debates can be tricky. Without his handlers telling him what to say and feeding him sound bites, he's in real danger of saying the wrong thing. And once something is out there in the public domain, it can't be taken back. A live debate can make or break a candidate, and Fincher knows that. Still, he owes it to his his potential future constituents to face them and answer their questions. A debate is one way for voters to educate themselves about candidates so they can make an informed choice. That's why Fincher owes it to the public to face Herron.
Even more troubling is Fincher's refusal to release his income tax records. His defense that "I haven't done anything illegal, so there's no reason to release my records" just doesn't fly. Releasing income tax records is standard procedure for political candidates. Even the president releases his records every year. Fincher's refusal to release his records only raises the question of what he has to hide.
Fincher seems to be trying to have it both ways. He wants to represent the people of the 8th District, but he wants to maintain his status as a private citizen. He can't have it both ways. Fincher was the first to throw his hat in the ring to replace retiring Rep. John Tanner. He should have known that he was giving up his status as a private citizen. It's time he came to terms with it and faced the public. They deserve nothing less.