Extremely important observation. The two-tier primary/general election system produces more extreme-position winners, exactly by this mechanism. And consider

Extremely important observation. The two-tier primary/general election system produces more extreme-position winners, exactly by this mechanism. And consider another common outcome - shift the odds very slightly here and the Palin-esque candidate wins the primary, and the general, even though the eliminated primary candidate (Begich in this case) would have been more acceptable to the electorate at large.