The strength and durability of American conservatism rests in its simplicity. Scientists have demonstrated that the simpleminded favor conservatism, and that the conservative mind deals only in stark binary choices eschewing nuance. But beyond the brain chemistry that pre-wires them to absurd reduction, conservative simplicity manifests itself in a clarity of operating principles. Conservatives agree on some basic things and work hard to try and turn their beliefs into policy.
They want lower taxes. They want a debt-free government. They want a strong national defense. They want to diminish the rights of non-whites and non-heterosexuals. They want Obamacare dismantled. They want abortion to be illegal. They want the Christian God to be America’s official God.
That these items are screw-ball and anti-American isn’t material. They are simple. This simple list makes it easy to get people riled to knock on doors. The simplicity has carried them through periods when they should have been routed. And while they are in disarray over strategy right now – they rarely have conflict over the big goals.