""Bush has repeatedly burned the base.""
That is untrue.
The only betrayal Bush did was CFR.
Immigration
Spending
Medicare
All those were known as far back as 1999. If conservatives chose not to listen because they were so desperate to get rid of Clinton/Gore, they have only themselves to blame.
Bush said in 1999, you cant balalnce the budget on the backs of hte poor.
Bush oppossed Prop 182 as far back as 1994
Bush ran on expanding medicare
Ask any Texan was Bush conservative as Gov, the answer will be on taxes yes, everything else no.
Are you saying that conservatives that voted against algore (and later, Kerry) should have gone elsewhere?
The choice was clearly for (what was thought to be) the lesser of the evils.