Asks the conservative writer, who argues that sharper partisan lines — where political parties had more power over their members — is good for American politics: "If, like Colin Powell, you strongly believe that we need more regulation
of carbon emissions, an approach to deficit reduction that involves
substantial increases in federal taxes as well as spending cuts, an
immigration policy that gives unauthorized immigrants the opportunity to
become lawful permanent residents without first requiring that they
return to their country of origin, and an education policy that
emphasizes higher levels of public spending over competition among
educational providers, it wouldn't just be unusual to back Mitt Romney
over Barack Obama -- it would actually be, in the sense articulated by [political scientist Richard]
Lau and his co-authors, incorrect."
Reihan Salam: "Why Isn't Colin Powell A Democrat?"
