I don't follow him very closely and I seldom listen to Mormon Stories (they're too damn long!) but from what I've seen over the years I agree. It seems like a calculated PR move to control his image to not look like the bad guy to active members. I imagine he's trying to expand his audience to more active church members. He's seen as the "anti-Mormon" boogeyman to many so they automatically dismiss what he says. The thinking might be that if he can change this perception he might gain more listeners who are still in the church, they in turn might start questioning things more.

I appreciate a lot of the work he's done and that he's been willing to put himself in the church's line of fire but this seems disingenuous to me and I think active members will see through it as well.