The big takeaway from this isn't that the GOP is a knee-jerk anti-hollywood, anti-SOPA party. Indeed, there are plenty of people in the conservative establishment who were either supportive of or mute on SOPA and SOPA-like legislation prior to blackout day, and who changed not out of principle, but practicality.

But this does highlight the fact that our overly-simplified view of political parties in the United States as monolithic entities of zombie-politicians who take marching orders from the party establishment is quite out of step with the reality, particularly where conservatives are concerned. The GOP is a surprisingly diverse political entity, accepting the likes of Ron Paul on one extreme and George W. Bush on the other. Indeed, in the "center", it can often be difficult to tell the difference between "moderates" of either party.

All of which is to say, it is often unwise to make sweeping statements about large political entities simply because prominent politicians within that movement are vocal about a particular issue. Often the fight within a large political party is as heated as the battles with other political parties. Savvy voters would do well to recognize that fact.