If the GOP is in ascendency and is THE platform for conservatives, then why praytell does it do nothing to advance the conservative agenda? They control the white house, senate, house and a majority of the governorships but have failed to pass any of the conservative agenda. That leaves 2 conclusions. They are either not really conservative, or they are ineffective. I tend to think both are true.
McConnell told us to sit down and shut up and then said later that Conservatives in the Tea Party needed to get punched in the nose. The GOP rewrote the rules to make sure the Conservative grassroots could never challenge the Establishment unless the candidates are groomed by the leadership itself.
The Rockefeller GOP is NOT Conservative and loathes us as much as the Democrats do, if not moreso. Social Conservatives/Christians are an embarrassment that the party wishes would shut up and go away, except come election day.
If Conservatives want a voice in the future - they need to go elsewhere and start new, or our ideology will forever be rendered irrelevant. The longer we are associated with the GOP, the more Conservative principles will be watered down into Liberalism.