> The fact that he is putting that the ideas are lame and amplifying the idea that they might be political loyalty tests is a wildly supportive position for him

> The fact that he is putting that the ideas are lame and amplifying the idea that they might be political loyalty tests is a wildly supportive position for him given his usual approach to politics. Sorry I deleted the original comment. Interesting take. A simpler explanation is he's changed his mind. Or maybe he thinks that the hype for his original view has ended; he predicts that the opposition is gaining more support within the state government, the academic community, and the people; and he therefore is positioning himself closer to the opposition where there will be more future support.