Conservatives answered a call in 2004 that was never made thereafter.
The GOP for reasons of its own (I think) deliberately punted the 2008 election so the Democrats could carry the ball on getting rid of employer-paid health care plans.
In 2012 Obama hadn't finished the job, so Rove and company trotted out the rissoles in the forum of Mitt Romney, who'd been rejected in 2008. So where was the call, in 2012, except from Sarah's tour bus? Rove kept her and others out by muddying the waters and splashing all the meager (for conservatives) available political money out of the pool.
Where was the call?
I know what Mitt Romney said about Texas, when Texans were fighting the Democrat lawsuit to delay our primary election until the fight was all over, so Texas conservatives could have no voice in the nomination race. Mitt Romney was asked why he planned no campaign visits to Texas. He replied, cynically -- and I can quote him exactly, almost three years later -- "They'll come to me when I'm the last man standing."
Way to impress me, Mittens. By the way, your planet's calling. They want their god back.
Vote for that? Are you kidding? Who would want to? If some Republican said stuff like that back in the 50's, what do you think people would have said and done? Vote for him? Not hardly. That's a failure of character, which can't be fixed.
I guess we agree to disagree, then.
Which was what you wanted, right?