I do not think Conservatism was pushed all that stridently this year. You may see it different.
Every candidate tried to lay claim to the Reagan mantle. From my POV, conservatism (at least FR conservatism) has come to embody immigration as the #1 issue. Every candidate but McCain adopted a no-tollerence policy on illegal immigration. If conservatism was a powerful force in American politics, anyone but wishywashy, get along McCain should have won the nomination.
It could be that the American people were decieved on McCain's stances, or that the Powers That Be( Illuminati, Trilateral Commision, Council on Foriegn Relation, Bildeburger...insert a million all powerful entities here) fooled us all agian...or McCain appealed to more GOP primary voters.
I think it was the later. I believe conservatism was rejected by the GOP primary voters in favor of...a new Washington tone. Kinda like in 2000.
There was a time when I thought debates were a good idea. The problem this year was that the favored candidates got the majority of questions and a guy like Hunter couldn’t even get his message out. He and Paul were relegated to what sounded like desparate sound-bites, trying to move the debate in the direction of reasoned border policy (on Hunter’s part), but not getting the multiple chances to address it (or another personal preference).
We wind up getting the questions presented by liberals. They shape the debate and it’s very difficult for conservatives to get their message out. This isn’t the first go-round with that dynamic in play.
At this point, I’m even questioning Thompson’s motives from the get go. McCain and Romeny seemed to be the only ones with fire in the belly. Neither was someone I could look at their past and trust a word they said, as it related to Conservatism. And then Thompson soon endorsed the folks he’d been running against. It was downright unseemly IMO.
Hunter actually was someone I could trust, but he didn’t get the financial support, and didn’t have a good enough staff to do what he needed to do. And of course, that may call to question his executive skills.
Romney may have turned out to be a good President, but I couldn’t back the guy based on his history. There isn’t any doubt in my mind that McCain will savage Conservatism from the office of the President.