He knows he can siphon off disaffected "centrist" democratic voters who have had enough of Obama. That's why he is running and it's why he won't appear at this conference. He can't get those voters if he runs too far right.
He want’s to be the next McCain. Get nominated due to open primaries. He believes he will be elected as the nation will have had enough of Obama by then.
Enough of us will vote for whomever the GOP nominee is just to rid ourselves of the menace in the WH.....and Mitt is banking on that.