The old people I knew who kept saying in the 60's that the GOP would never be conservative no matter how many of us joined it knew exactly what they were talking about. When I saw thousands of Southern conservatives lining up in 2000 for the koolaid handed out by a Connecticut yankee pretending to be a Texan, it appeared to me that this world is just too ridiculous a place to be believed.
I hate to be so mean, but IMO, anyone who ever believed that Bush was a conservative is too far gone to ever really be awakened. They'll get a little ticked off, but come election time, their eyes will glaze over again and they'll close ranks, chanting, " At least he ain't a Dem". You watch. I've seen it too many times in the past 20 years.
Sweetheart, it isn't 'mean' to tell the truth...the truth is what sets one free. I, for one, am quite sick and tired of hearing the old '3rd party ain't got a change' mantra--hell no they don't, so long as the suckers continue to cling to the two-timing, cheatin' parties they've grown up and old with--the ones that never change--they fluff the pillows a bit to make it look like they're gonna do something--only thing is, soon as you lay your head on the pillow, the screwdriver comes out and starts doing a number on your back.
The sunshine patriots make me puke. My 89 year old, stove-up arthritic Dad has more testosterone than most of these ya-hoos prancing around calling themselves conservative.