[wintertime]

. . Both locally and nationally, the interest of the Church and its members are served when we have two good men or women running on each ticket, and then no matter who is elected, we win.”[
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I generally join the strongest party wherever I am living. This gives me access to the primaries. If we can get the most conservative candidates on the ticket most likely to win, then conservatism ( and our nation) wins.

[Colofornian]

I generally join the strongest party wherever I am living. This gives me access to the primaries. If we can get the most conservative candidates on the ticket most likely to win, then conservatism ( and our nation) wins.

I'm sorry, but this defines "conservatism" by whatever canyon -- large or small -- existing in contrast to your "most conservative candidate" approach.

With this approach, you get your frog-in-the-kettle so-called "conservative" -- he just gets boiled a few degrees hotter every election -- until you wind up having 1960s Democrats who were on the average more "conservative" than your 2012 or 2016 "Republicans."