Conservativism is built on the idea that “I’m a good person.” That’s the core of every single conservative ideology. There are no unifying beliefs, no foundational value, no immovable, fundamental priorities for conservatives. Everything is negotiable, except for the fact that “I am a good person.” If I want something to change, it must change because I am a good person. If I want something to stay the same, it must remain the same because I am s good person. If you disagree with me, then you are a bad person.

A party of conservatives will coalesce around a single identity, and then it morphs into “We are the good people” but only because each individual member still believes “I am a good person.”

If someone else does something bad, it reinforces the idea that they are good. If they do something bad, it’s justified because they are the good ones as it was either necessary or a meaningless temporary lapse.

Conservativism is not so much an ideology as it is a psychosocial virus.

So there is no irony, no hypocrisy, no self-reflection among conservatives. They don’t perceive their flaws because that’s the point of conservativism. If conservativism were a sport, it would be Calvinball, where the rules are ephemeral and capricious.

When you try to apply reason to a conservative’s statements or actions, you’re wrestling with the tar baby they made for you.