That's why people like the editor of World Net Daily, Joseph Farah, who I greatly respect, have refused to be called "conservative" simply because they feel that conservative has just become just another way of saying "statist."
I don't know if I always respect WorldNetDaily, but Farah has definitely written some nice essays.
FA Hayek, advocate of individual liberty and critic of socialism has his own essay "Why I am not a Conservative," you may be familiar with it.
Thanks for the informative Madison quotes (ignored by many of the posters on this thread).