Self-identifying as a centrist is perhaps the most cynical and amoral political identity you can have because you're just openly admitting your beliefs aren't really beliefs they're just strategic positions that only exist relative to others in the room you happen to be in

Possibly. Or maybe they’re just able to see some virtues on the left and some virtues on the right. And end up centrist because of that, not because they are straight down the middle on every issue.