[donna]

Conservatives define conservatism by using their vote.

[JasonC]

On the country, votes are for politics, conservatism is mostly for all of life, and emphatically is not defined by politics entire, let alone by voting. Conservatives defined conservatism by how they act, live, think, and breath, in their families, their jobs, in society and organizations of every kind, most of them not political at all, in faith, in intellectual argument and technocratic policy recommendation - and only late in the day in politics. Frankly it is the left that makes everything about politics, and conservatives are driven to political action largely to stop them from making politics too important and having it invade everything. Conservatism is all about life being bigger than politics.

[FreeReign]

Conservatives define conservatism by using their vote.

Not really. Sometimes (many times), a conservative can be pragmatic.