Big issue is modern conservativism does not reflect what conservatism actually should be. I don’t agree with either philosophy as a whole but the classical definition of a small government only just powerful enough to protect the rights of its citizens without any superfluous powers or privileges that could be abused for self enrichment or tyranny does have some merit, even if that merit has been buried in the political backyard since at least the 70s. Modern day Republicans are everything the conservatives who built the party feared.