Let me give you my Forrest Trump answer: “Conservative is, as conservative DOES”.
Well, for starters, it’s someone who doesn’t openly attack conservatives and what we stand for and say it is the government’s role to take care of everyone and says “you conservatives” will have to “get used to it!”
That sounds awfully like the end justifies the means. In my mind, a conservative believes in the Constitution and supports smaller, less intrusive government. Many self proclaimed conservatives look to the federal government to solve all their problems including social, moral and economic.