"Apostar" to bet? or something else?

Question

From the same article in La Nacion referenced in my question a few minutes ago (re:"volcar&quot:

1) El gobernador (Daniel Scioli) apuesta a mostrarse como una figura componedora, ideal para tiempos de turbulencia, que cuenta con el apoyo de un PJ acostumbrado a estos climas. 2) El diputado Sergio Massa parece beneficiarse por no tener gestión a cargo. Apuesta a mostrar siempre su equipo económico, integrado por funcionarios que pilotearon la salida de la crisis de 2001.

"Apostar" means to bet, but does that work here? Does apuesta mean something else in these 2 sentences? He bets on showing himself as? He bets on showing?

it is literally "to bet', they bet to that strategy as part of the election campaign - 003e54f5, Aug 25, 2014

Thanks, but if apostar is literally "to bet," "bet to that strategy" is not correct. In that case, maybe it would be he "bets on showing himself as " or "he is betting on showing himself as "? One cannot bet to something; rather, one bets on something. - malbecblend, Aug 25, 2014

aahh and this e.g? 'I'm betting on show me as a good person because I believe that this strategy will work to win votes' - 003e54f5, Aug 25, 2014

I'm betting that this strategy of showing (or presenting) myself to be a good person will win votes for me (or win me votes). - malbecblend, Aug 25, 2014

Answer 1

Apostar can also mean to choose or to confide in something, In this case, "he chooses to demonstrate ..........."

In both of the sentences I provided the translation is to choose? In the first, then, is it El Gobernador chooses to show himself, and the second, he chooses to show his economic team? - malbecblend, Aug 25, 2014

Answer 2

choose, bet

Answer 3

What about "positioning" himself as a figure.....for the first and

Choosing to demonstrate ..... for the second usage.

Answer 4

So choose ** in the sense of **as a strategic move ? A bet so to speak?

I'm trying to reconcile the answers provided by JulianChivi and Pablo064.

So, going to my original questions: Is the translation for the first sentence," El Gobernador (Daniel Scioli) apuesta a mostrarse como una figura componedora. .." "Governor Scioli is choosing to show himself as a figure who can be an intermediary (as a political strategy) /betting on (by choosing to show himself) showing himself as a figure who can be a an intermediary..." btw, mostrarse means to show himself, right? And does una figura componedora mean an intermediary figure, I.e., a person who can serve as an intermediary? And can the second sentence be translated as follows: "Sergio Massa is choosing to (as a political strategy, that is a to say a strategy on which he is betting) always show his economic team..."?