He is a populist, plain and simple.
He tries to gauge which way the wind blows, while maintaining some kind of consistancy.
The one thing I do like him, is that, on the right night and with a liberal guest, he can destroy them with ease.
But thats more or less just being competant, he looks better because everyone else is just so bad.
Right on. Eleanor Clift even looks ok up against the cast of "The Night of The Living Dead".