No conservative has ever criticized eminent domain for the Keystone Pipeline. All conservatives agree eminent domain can be used for public infrastructure projects.
Conservatism IS practical...it’s the ONLY practical political philosophy there is. It’s about common sense and getting results, not about dogma and ideology, the way that liberalism, socialism and libertarianism are.
RINOs didn’t get elected because they were RINOs. Conservatives weren’t energized to campaign for them.
You seem to believe Trump can win. What makes Trump different from a “dogmatic” conservative? Hasn’t he campaigned in the primary on virtually every conservative position? The only differences in positions he’s taken from any more conservative candidate is that abortion should have exceptions and that he’s more supportive of opening relations with Cuba (not a big issue outside of Miami). His immigration positions are certainly as hard-line as anybody else’s. So what is it that makes Trump’s platform more electable than a “dogmatic” conservative’s platform?
I can only answer for my own part. I am by no means certain can win or be successful if he does. Many of his positions are indeed “conservative” to what is deemed the conservative grass-roots. However, they are also pragmatic from a more nationalist or populist viewpoint. Most office holders who campaign as conservatives do see conservatism differently: they are by-and-large open borders, cheap labor, “free” trade, internationalists. Or in other words, they have been well bought by the big money interests that desire to control western governments.
And I guess at the end of the day, that’s the point. Conservatism has become a caricature - defined by the beholder but in the end meaning very little. It has also not been successful as a governing philosophy, largely because conservatism has not been implemented as a governing philosophy for at least 90 years.
If Trump wins it will not be because voters vote for conservatism. They’ve had decades of people like the Bushes, Dole, McCain, Romney, Graham et. al. talking about how they are true conservatives. They will vote for Trump, if the do, because they want to rip the reigns of power from the entrenched, closed Oligarchy that has ruled America for decades. If they do it, it will be to create a revolution that throws out current rulers out. It will not be to enact a conservative platform per se.
I don’t think Trump is electable either. You CANNOT win without women, and his negatives are as high or higher than Cruz’s negatives with that group. Neither will make any dent in Hispanic or black voters either, like W did. I tried to be realistic about Romney’s chances and got trashed by my feloow conservatives. Sometimes being pragmatic is a onely place to be.