I have a theory on this. It’s just an idea I’m working through - not perfect.
I think they are still there, but have been conditioned to not recognize evil and shun it as appropriate. I believe this happened through the churches and communist infiltration of them long ago.
Look, drag queens are evil. But many conservatives have been conditioned to believe it’s just a lifestyle and we should accept people’s differences. No, that stuff is evil and I don’t allow it in my house. I don’t let it around my kids. Drags and their ilk are not my friends or acquaintances. Why should I have a friend that is evil? Blue-haired abortion activists are evil. Communists of all stripes are evil, I don’t want them around me or at my table for Thanksgiving. I don’t want them in my community or at my parades.
Hell yes I discriminate. I discriminate against evil! I won’t allow it in my house.
I think we need to get back to not being afraid to call out evil and shun it.
Trouble is, the evil ones have put teeth in their dogma. Say the wrong thing, you’re out of a job, or can’t see the grandkids anymore. We’re in a spot, that’s for sure.
Tolerance was pushed a good idea. And it is. That's why America was a melting pot for decades. Irish, Italians, Jews, etc came here and after maybe a rough start, plenty of people found opportunity and acceptance. That's America. Conservatives embrace this.
But then the Left started pushing some very odd things. Some Conservatives pushed back -- hey, that's not America.
But the Left had their response: Why are you so intolerant? Why can't you accept things? Why are you a jerk?
And Conservatives largely stepped back and said, "Tolerance is good. I support tolerance. I don't want to be a jerk."
This became a classic slippery slope in which Conservatives lost more and more influence and were increasingly marginalized ("those intolerant jerks") and largely gave up in many parts of the country.