>>3
That's the underlying idea behind real conservatism. It's pretty obvious that this isn't the way it's practiced today, much less ever.
Conservatism today deals mostly with the claimed preservation of so called "old fashioned values," which they describe as a throwback to the days of the agrarian communities of the South from the late 1800s. It's an idea that many can rally behind, because it has nothing to do with politics, and all to do with more salient issues within the Southern states and the Midwest communities. Some see a promise of a society more governed by religion, while others see a chance to allay what they believe to be a threat posed by minorities and immigrants in the U.S. (or any other country).
Today's conservatism is mainly a front to push other political ideologies that rarely ever align with the political ideologies of either true conservatism or liberalism. It would be more associated with the term "right wing" which does not mean the same as conservatism.