Republicans and conservatives are NOT against programs ....they're just against stupidly planned ones that never get the job done that just keep going on and on and on with no real qualitative results.
Horseshit. If that were true they'd be famous for working to fix programs that don't work as good as they could, and proposing new better programs to solve ever-changing problems.
Republicans are famous for "heck of a job, Brownie" and the transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the already wealthy.
The problem isn't "conservativism" per se. It's good to be conservative of things of real, lasting value. The problem is taking a fairly positive concept for ones personal values, "conservativism", and making political ideology out of it. It's a horrible, mean, stupid, opposed-to-expansion-that-benefits-newcomers political ideology.
It's also antithetical to everything Jesus is written to have stood for.
It is as popular as it is because it appeals to the lesser angels of the human soul.
Fortunately, I think even most "conservatives" are growing a bit tired of their own merde and are seeing the value of cleaning up their own house.