My thoughts exactly.
Never an easy task but I'd say there are three pillars
1. limited government aka fiscal conservatives
2. traditional values aka social conservatives
3. strong national defense
I go for all three but also think that people who are "2 out of 3" aren't bad.
Any "Conservative" political movement in America must be animated by a continual reference to, and analysis of, the intersection between faith and politics.
"Conservatism" needs definition on a forum like this:
Main Entry: con·ser·va·tism
Pronunciation: k&n-'s&r-v&-"ti-z&m
Function: noun
Date: 1835
1 capitalized a : the principles and policies of a Conservative party b : the Conservative party
2 a : disposition in politics to preserve what is established b : a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change
3 : the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change
Personally I believe that a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions in America is, by definition, based on Judeo-Christian tradition and social stability.
Therefore, I do not shy away from calling those self proclaimed conservatives here on FreeRepublic.com "A Conservative News Forum" back to the very roots of that "Conservatism, " namely Judeo-Christian principles and belief. Christianity is integral to the continuance of Conservatism in America and thus The Necessity for Christianity on Free Republic.
I would like to see an ongoing, charitable discussion and debate on the defintion of, and basis/roots of, the "Conservative" aspect of FreeRepublic.com "A Conservative News Forum."
Frankly, IMHO, Free Republic is NOT a "Conservative" News Forum, if it was at one time.
It has become a Apatheism News Forum, where the "Conservativism" of the median FReeper is not "Conservatism" at all but quite appropriately referred to as "Apatheism."