With a president that openly labels the press the enemy of the people?
> If it were possible to transcend parties and vote just for candidates that represented my nuanced beliefs, I would switch in a heartbeat.
It's impossible. Everyone will have their nuanced beliefs and no candidate will match perfectly except in rare circumstances.
With a president that has appointed more 1st/2nd amendment-protecting federal appellate judges than any other president, you mean?
Similarly I presume the rise of Boris Johnson with Brexit is a reflection of the British people, regardless of whether he has his conservative credentials in order.
For a sufficiently loose definition of “reflection”, yes. For a sufficiently tight definition of “reflection”, no.
> does one define American conservatism by reciting a prescription of what people ought be when they say they're conservative
One defines conservatism by a set of values and policies. The same goes for liberalism, fascism, communism, environmentalism, nationalism, etc.