I would not prefer to impose a stringent litmus test as regarding what constitutes a "real" conservative.
Although she has some occasional abberations from traditional conservatism (e.g. she is an avowed atheist), most of her views do, indeed, strike me as being conservative.
I really would not wish to be in the position of the proverbial Puritan, who is said to have bemoaned: "Only me and thee are pure; and sometimes I wonder a bit about thee..."
straw argument dude…..she has some serious establishment views as well as that atheist thing. My comments were rather mild anyway, but this is not about puritanism at all…….she falls way short of a Cruz Palin Limbaugh Steyn Levin Reagan tea party general sort of standard.