Where have all the Conservatives gone?

When I was a kid, being a conservative -- and, by extension, a Republican -- meant that you supported lower taxes, more fiscal responsiblity, less government interference in business and less government interference in individual lives. What happened to that? Now, it seems as if the conservative party has become strong armed by the so-called right-wing Christians, who want all of us to be Christians, not be gay and don't care how much money the government spends -- as long as it is corporate welfare and not on social needs. How did this happen? I saw a news report where James Dobson -- the head of Focus on Family -- is going to have his group shop for a new Presidential candidate if the Republican party doesn't back the anti-gay amendment that his group thinks this country needs. Hasn't this mess gone too far?  When will we stop worrying about someone else getting something we don't think they should have?  And, when willl the conservatives and Republicans get back to their roots? I miss them. God Bless.