Android runs Chrome. The only drawback is the windowing system isn't right for the form factor. Split screen in Android N will probably make the Pixel C loved by many.
"Internal politics" makes it sound like a mistake, but when Android replaces Windows as the default desktop OS in a few years, the Pixel C will look like a pretty smart idea.
Interestingly, Brendan Eich called Android the Windows of the modern era just this week.
To me, ChromeOS has two things that make it far, far better than Android -- mandatory autoupdates and a far smaller attack surface. And, I think at a fundamental level those two reasons are why premium Android tablets just aren't appealing.
Maybe Android will be the default desktop OS, but in its current incarnation, it would be pushing a lot of brain damage on people.
ChromeOS != Chrome
It is just a Linux distribution with a window manager that only knows about Chrome.
A touch-oriented chrome device that could take a keyboard would be a lot more appealing to me than a premium android tablet. I'm not sure how common this perspective is, though. I definitely use my iPad Pro as a limited Macbook air..