That’s fine. But sometimes people simply flip-flop. Happens all the time in politics. There’s no question Madison flipped. That’s not the question. The question is why. The way he got played by Hamilton is almost hard to believe. Madison had a reputation for being politically astute, and yet he goes from being Hamilton’s patsy to being Jefferson’s. It’s hard to understand someone being so smart and so stupid at the same time. In that respect, he’s less impressive than Hamilton or Jefferson. Perhaps the answer lies in the other salient part of the quote I highlighted—Madison’s desire to seek some “middle ground.”