It is much better, from the weasel's standpoint, to have it both ways. He wants the party label because he needs his party's nomination. But he also wants to distance himself from that label by crafty devices. Everything else is ballast. The shifty-eyed weasel is not really a leader.
Leadership involves too much work and too much risk.
His idea is to gain immediate rewards and benefits. Therefore, telling people what they want to hear, creating an attractive facade, and claiming status as a viable candidate comes first. If you know your political animals, if you are a keen observer, you can always spot the shifty-eyed weasel. He is usually in the middle and speaks in broad generalities, rarely uttering a hard word or taking a stand. He has a pleasing and flexible appearance, and a smiling exterior.