A) Look at other Republicans, particularly in the Senate, like Trent Lott. They have not exactly shown spine for conservative issues.
B) Our society is very far away from being conservative as a whole right now. It has to be won back classroom by classroom, boy scout troop by boy scout troop, and so on. This is something that everyone has to play a role in, perhaps in a similar manner to Fishtalk and his friend, who had amiable political discussions for years. Only after a much greater percentage of Americans are converted back to conservatism will we be able to make lasting progress on some of these niggling issues.