That depends on whether one's goal is to "fight," or to influence young minds. While the conservative at Berkeley is "fighting," the conservative who went to Francis Marion in South Carolina is being promoted to Chairman of the Political Science Department. Not only does he have a nicer life, he gets to teach more classes, and even to decide what they will be about. Plus he gets his message into the press more, because he's a big-shot Political Science professor.
The first guy is fascinated by the battle. The second guy understands the war.
Gotta start somewhere. Advocating conservatism in South Carolina is "preaching to the choir". Much easier audience. I suggest that his struggle is about bringing it to the belly of the beast. One shouldn't let the reactionaries get too comfortable with their supposed autocracies - be they religious or "liberal".