Ann Coulter actually went far to explaining what was/is happening. In the past, patriotic people, pro-gun people, traditionally religious (esp. Christian) people, Constitution-focused people, etc., have had to choose between a side openly hostile to them (the Left--Democrats) and one which often includes their ideas in their platform (the Right--Republicans). In choosing Republicans, they often found themselves having to--contrary to their nature--accept or embrace policy positions and doctrines they didn't really believe or understand in order to hold the line against anti-American people, gun-grabbers, anti-religious people, etc. With Trump, a vast number of people have found that they don't have to do that. They don't have to embrace "free trade." They don't have to embrace nation-building wars. They don't have to embrace Rockefeller Republican rich-benefitting economics. The list goes on. Those people that the folks at the conference thought were "conservative" (as they define it in terms of policy positions) were often just going along. "I vote pro-life!" and "I vote pro-gun!" put them in support of a party and slate of candidates the other policies of which they didn't necessarily like. With Trump, their core issues are addressed sufficiently, they don't have to agree with him on everything to still be supportive, and they can admit to some supposedly not-so-conservative ideas they've held--trade restrictions, admitting conservative defeat in the Culture War, etc. (For me, I go Left on animal welfare, though like Sheriff Arpaio, I haven't been shy about saying so.)
So yes, there are fewer "conservatives" here than people like Pavlich thought. But there are as many or more patriots, pro-gunners, traditionally religious, and legitimate Constitutionalists.
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