Is Votico's Grip Slipping?

I was puzzled by it politically because I didn't really get why he needed to take that tone. He doesn't need to curry favor with that. It makes me wonder if a there's a political calculation that I don't understand, like is his grip and the ability to motivate those voters? Is it slipping? And so they feel they have to throw some red meat now and then,. or alternatively, is this the kind of guy that can be walked into a right cross?