"Conservative" is a state of mind in this case, not a political philosophy. A few years after leaving the US I realized the left has their own conservatives just as susceptible to what you've described. They drink their own brand of Kool Aid. That compounds the problem exponentially, sending both sides skittering to their own dark echo chamber when the light goes on. True, voting for you-know-who was eggregious, but you've only uncovered half the problem. You're on the right track.