It's Very Stupid #3: Being John Fetterman

Tacking to the center is arguably the most consistent tactic that politicians can use to garner legitimacy or favor amongst their peers throughout history. Choosing to preemptively take a position that supports what a policy would look like after significant compromise can allow one to appear smarter and more level headed than their more ideologically committed allies. This arguably took on its modern form with the Clinton administration’s ‘Triangulation’ policy. It was so successful that tacking to the center became more of a mass migration by members of Clinton’s party, although this shift arguably began during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, albeit not to much spectacular political gain.