It's easy to spot the real conservatives. They are the ones who voted a dozen times to repeal Obamacare when they knew Obama would veto it and then voted once more to repeal it now that we have a real American as President. They are the ones who are pushing the Hearing Protection Act of 2017 through Congress as quickly as possible so we can buy silencers without a special $200 firearms stamp and a one-year wait. They are the ones who want to fund the Wall and deport all illegals. Half the GOP? I like your optimism.
To be an effective conservative, you need to both understand and care about the issues. When I observe republicans, a LOT of them fail to display understanding or commitment to sound policies. I think at least half are just going through the motions.