No fool like an old fool, I guess.
I think he is a conservative in the mold of Tucker Carlson. Able to give up talking points on cue, on a liberal show, but not serious enough in his heart to have ever in the history of the Brinkley/Sam whatsisname/Cokie Roberts show turn to any of them and say:
Let me finish my point!
He has always been a weak sister to me, but he was a known quantity, labeled as 'conservative' during all the dem-dominated three-network years.