They said conservatives but they meant Republicans. It's exactly the sort of manufactured outrage they've excelled at milking recently- create a scandal, claim the "patriotic"/change-resistant side, and use it to create fear of the enemy.

(Switch in Democrat instead of Republican, and "progressive"/faux-scientific, and I'm sure you can think of some recent examples on "the other side." It's a disease of politics, not of a particular viewpoint.)

Want hard examples? Look at Ben Carson's statement regarding putting Harriet Tubman on the 20, and the fact that it's turned into a big deal at all.