I see this one a lot: "Why do you call yourself a conservative, Heath? You need a new word. It's ruined."

It's a fair point & deserves explanation - because it's true: I do still consider myself a conservative. So, what does that mean?

I'm conservative because I'm skeptical of govt's ability to change society in one swoop. If institutions are flawed, my bias usually is to reform them rather than destroy them, unless they actively offend core principles of justice. There is often wisdom in what's already built.

I also claim conservatism because I believe in the importance of moral virtue & values in a society. I'm not a moral relativist. That doesn't mean that government should go around codifying every value into law. But it does mean that our leaders should live them & be an example.

I also claim conservatism because I believe that equality of opportunity is a better, more achievable goal for society than the equality of outcomes. People pursuing prosperity through their own efforts from a level playing field will ultimately allow society to achieve more.

Finally, I'm still a conservative because I believe in the strict limitations on gov't & its leaders that the law & the Constitution establish. I think those limitations are important - even when ignoring them might hasten change - because they force deliberation & judgment.

Trumpism completely flouts all four: it undermines our institutions, rejects the importance of morality in practically every decision (e.g., grabbing women, bounties on troops, Xi's camps), never speaks of opportunity, and actively flouts the law in service of its political ends.

Trumpism *isn't* conservatism, or even an outcome of conservatism. In fact, it's the antithesis of conservatism. It tears things down instead of conserving them. I'm still a conservative b/c I actually think its precepts are the antidote to many of the harms wrought by Trumpism.