Simple fact: there are not enough pure conservative votes to win the election. Period. Same for pure liberal voters. Like it or not the winning candidate has to pull from the middle. You can argue it shouldn’t be that way but it’s just math.
(Simple fact: there are not enough pure conservative votes to win the election.)
That’s called a strawman argument. In the primaries, you try to solidify your base by promising them what you’re going to do for them. The time to attract non-pure conservative votes is during the general election, after having given the base confidence that you’re not going to turn around and stab them in the back once elected. Trump on the other hand has not won over conservatives, and on his side, doesn’t owe them anything. So he could easily in the general “cut a deal” to attract everybody else, and you end up in the general election with the choice of 2 politicians with liberal platforms. And conservatives will stay home just like in the last 2 presidential elections due to the idiocy of McCain and Romney. You don’t think that’s plausible?