Your argument underscores the nature of conservatism. Conservatism is not a baseball team. It is a philosophy that I believe is true and better than socialism. As such, you cannot just sit back and let the other team (socialists) win. Conservatism is true and when presented to people in a clear cogent way, people will pick conservatism over socialism. Again, it is unlike a baseball team that people choose to support and may choose from many other teams. The GOP simply stopped preaching the Gospel, partly because the leadership of the party is no longer conservative. They want to win at any cost and disregard the principles of the party. Career politicians have never been the Republican way, and it never should.
LOL - you are so wrong - "brimming with wrongability."
As was the case in most other Northern states, The Republican Party in Illinois contained a number of diverse factions. There were outright abolitionists, and the Free-Soilers who had a more conservative bent; there were former Know-Nothings who distrusted foreigners and German-born voters who were repelled by Know-Nothingism. there were former Democrats and there were old-line Whigs to whom all Democrats were suspect;" - The Coming Fury, Bruce Catton
The precursor to the Republican party was a group of "anti-Nebraska zealots," Road to Disunion, William Freehling, but they failed to produce a national party. That required the larger conglomeration or broader views.
GOP simply stopped preaching the Gospel
Isn't that the problem with Gospel - people have different interpretations and those that don't agree are by definition, heretics.