Acela Republicans substitute bluster for courage. If a voter pokes an Acela Republican hard enough, he or she is sure to get the “Sit down and shut up!” response, in which New Jersey governor and semi-pro insult comic Chris Christie specializes. All it takes is for one media person or activist to yell “RACIST!” or “BIGOT” or “CLIMATE DENIER!” at Acela Republicans and they fold faster than cheap tent in a hurricane. The vicious nastiness they display toward Republican opponents is replaced by exaggerated civility when they’re up against the Democratic nominee. This is one reason Carly Fiorina will never be an Acela Republican: she likes to scrap, she’s good with a shank, and has more stones than Christie on his best day.

Acela Republicans love town halls, but hate debates. This is because Acela Republicans love to hear themselves talk and talk and talk about their favorite topic: themselves. The town hall format lets them take a question, elide over it, then talk about how wonderful they are. Debates? Not so much. Debates mean Acela Republicans have to engage other Republicans (and, God forbid, conservatives), to answer questions outside their comfort zone, and be accountable for their (always lacking) conservative bona fides.

Acela Republicans punch down. If you were raised right (e.g., in the South or Midwest), you know punching down doesn’t increase your stature. It makes you look like a jerk, at best. The one-note schtick of the Christie put-down is great YouTube fodder, but terrible politics in the long run. It’s also material for a hundred ads down the line, none of which will contain a whit of context but will feature his bellowing, crimson visage shouting down some schoolteacher.