"WHAT ARE CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES?"

The unexpected rise of The Donald has many conservative pundits wringing their hands because they don't think he's a real conservative.  Today,  Fats Limbaugh attempted to defend The Donald by stating the neither McCain nor Mitten$ were real conservatives, so it's OK to support Trump.  The real conclusion was drawn by Paul Krugman:

What happened to conservative principles?

Actually, nothing — because those alleged principles were never real. Conservative religiosity, conservative faith in markets, were never about living a godly life or letting the invisible hand promote entrepreneurship. Instead, it was all as Corey Robin describes it: Conservatism is

a reactionary movement, a defense of power and privilege against democratic challenges from below, particularly in the private spheres of the family and the workplace.