I’m not sure if this is a “both sides”

This is a strategy employed by politicians to juice participation in their cohort. Turning the campaign into a consumer brand is not unique to the Republican Party. It's also not historically very successful.

my actual positions are too unpopular

Candidate One: "If you like ice cream, you can eat it! I'm not here to tell you what to do."

Candidate Two: "Fresh vegetables are an important part of a diet. We need to make sure everyone has access to good nutrition, which is why the government should spend money to give people broccoli."

Who has the better policy? Who has the more popular opinion?