Well, that's the simulacra. There is the fantasy for the supporter and what the leaders are actually after.
For example, in Third World countries the conservatives, as in everywhere else, use nationalistic and patriotic rhetoric and treat national symbols as their exclusive party symbols, claiming to represent this "neutral ideology" called "nation", so the supporters all believe themselves to be patriots and nationalists. However, all Third World conservative parties’ main policy is literally giving away all natural resources and strategic industry to First World powers, there is nothing they fear more than economic sovereignty, for they are serving bourgeoisie interests (they profit from privatization, not the nation)... but again, the supporters do believe they are nationalists.

I'm sure American conservatives want to regress to that imagined previous state of virtue, but what they’ve got is mega technology and arms corporations, who sure don't give a fuck about any of that, increasing their grip over the government. So regardless of the intention, conservatives function to keep power in the hands of the already powerful.