There are different breeds to consider here, from neocons, to libertarians, to social conservatives, to religious zealots, to Trumpian cultists, and so on. But if we focus on the so-called intellectual conservatives, I think I get as close as I can to the truth in my upcoming article on Russell Kirk. And the truth is pretty much what you're saying here. If conservatism is incoherent, it can't possibly be honourably upheld.