There have been three Democratic presidents in my (adult) lifetime. All three ran in the primaries as the "moderate" candidate, zagged left to win the election, and then governed more to the center (Biden, surprisingly, stayed to the left more than the other guys).
This is not what savvy political commentators tells us is supposed to happen, even as they're watching it happen! You fake being a lefty to win the primary, and then go to the center to win the election!
Very strange.