Frist, Clinton Seeking Center

The Hotline had a blurb considering the wisdom in Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's and Senator Hillary Clinton's moves towards the middle. Here's a quote:

It is a telling point about the politicos and their parties that Clinton's "drive" to the middle is generally hailed as a "smart" political strategy while Frist's stem cell reversal is seen as "principled," a code word for bad politics. While both are taking heat from party activists, it's the Senate Maj. Leader who appears more at risk.

Conservatives in the Republican Party have always wondered if Frist were truly in their camp. The Hotline has picked up on the fact that Clinton's liberal credentials have never been in question, while Frist has not seemed so secure. Additionally, the risk of angering the Republican conservative base is tremendous. If a Republican can not appear strongly conservative during a primary, he will fail to energize that conservative base, along with its effective grassroots
campaign. The "consensus candidate" Bob Dole failed to energize the Republican conservative base in 1996, so he lost. A presidential candidate cannot win without a vast grassroots campaign.