I see him doing as he has so skillfully done from the outset, sort of playing both sides against the middle.

Remember when he was asked on CNN if he would support punishment of mothers who have abortions, and he immediately first said "Yes, I think you have to look at punishing the women" before backing off that position?

In first saying yes punish the mothers, he secured the vote of the hardcore Christian right, which considers abortion murder and, therefore, using brutally severe logic, considers the mother the murderer. Case closed.

Then, in quickly softening that stance to maybe punishing the doctors, he brought in tens of millions of more moderate folks who can still rightly vilify abortion but stop short of jailing pregnant women who feel they have no other practical choice than having a horrible procedure that will haunt them forever and beyond.

Importantly, though, in so doing he did not lose the support of the first group, who were given to understand he REALLY deep down agrees with them, but for the sake of getting elected had to back off the original, mother-punishing idea.

Breathtakingly masterful persuasion.