[JohnGalt]

Big-government conservatism is anathema to several hundred years of conservative and libertarian praxeology. English Tories seem to represent the better aspects of the concept as well, but the idea of a central state dictating the laws and culture to disparate states, reduces states to mere bureaucratic entities, explicitly against the intent of the framers.

[William McKinley]

Several hundred years? Pretty impressive in a country that is less than 300 years old. And Hamilton was one of the founders (not that I agree with Hamilton).

My point stands- there have been different flavors of conservatism since the founding of this country.