2012 Pits 'Empty Spaces' Vs. 'Crowded Places'

The hyper-partisanship that's gripping America comes down to one divide: "the war between the empty places and the crowded places," writes Gail Collins in the New York Times. City folk prefer a strong government because "it’s the thing that sets boundaries on public behavior." People who live in or near vast American landscapes, however, "don't see the point. ... Folks don’t get in their way because their way is really, really remote."

The Tea Party is surely "Empty Spaces," as are Texans (at least philosophically; most are really urban-suburbanites). But Mitt Romney? He "may be conservative, but he’s hopelessly Crowded Places," writes Collins. Romney talks about hunting, but for years had no hunting license. He promises to fire public workers, but can't figure out which ones. "Maybe he’ll one-up Perry and find four federal agencies to promise to close. Maybe he’ll bag a deer. Or a moose. They're serious this time around." Click for the full column. (More Gail Collins stories.)