It's a very calculated and self-destructive omission. It would be nice to root out the triangulating whiz kids that have rammed this "strategy" down Republican throats.
So, a couple of "whiz kids" control GOP policy? How then is the GOP different from the "opposition"? Face it, this isn't the work of a couple of young idiots, it's a systemic problem with the party leadership. The GOP isn't conservative and never has been. They have simply allowed a few of their politicians to play a little bit of conservative sounding chin music over the years.