I agree with the general points you were making. I’m just adding to the mix. It’s nice to think about separating ideology from political parties. The Democrats of the Civil War era are the Republicans of the modern era, after all, and vice versa. Political Parties are simply vessels for people looking to get votes.

But the problem is that Republicans are the ones claiming the conservative ideology, without actually rallying behind its cause. This creates confusion among people who might be interested in it.

It is impossible to ignore the fact that Republicans’ inconsistent application of a conservative ideology has contributed to its downfall.

If I was a conservative (and I most certainly am not), I’d be a follower of the Libertarian Party, which has been quite consistent during the last 40 years or so.

I think what you’ll see soon is a third party. Either Trump will start one, or Republicans desperate to break free of Trump’s cult will start one. Either one will leave an opening for Conservatives.

Conservatives like Ben Sasse are desperate for a home. There are some honorable conservatives, like Sasse, who deserve to be heard, so I hope that law abiding conservatives with a conscience find a way to rejoin the overall political argument.