Living in the mirror universe of a place like Indiana, I get what
the "moderates" might be trying to do. It isn't really about reaching voters directly, it's about reaching the elite intermediaries - local press and similar - and getting them to sell this storyline. Here in PA, Arlen Specter doesn't need to be a moderate Republican in any meaningful way, he just has to provide a plausible storyline to the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board so they can sell him to voters as one. Whether they're in on the con or just too stupid to notice I don't know.
