Keen observation but they even have a better one. Levin-bots like their master will say the that republican you picked (GWB) was a conservative, “except on that one issue that they (the bot) opposed”
That way they always win. GWB was a conservative that did NON conservative things. Incidently most tax cuts republicans proposed, and passed under GWB were justified by Keynesian economics. That's why democrats could hi-jack the issue so easily.
In California, Arnold has ruined just about every pitch one could make about what Republicans stand for.
It makes recruiting an almost impossible task as those that back him hold the Party purse strings.
Why bother being a Republican if all they are going to do is act like Democrats?