Conservatives are, regardless of all their objections, Republicans. They can espouse anything they want and show all the differences between them and Republicans. In the end when all is said and done they will vote Republican. This makes them Republicans.
You're wrong, can you honestly call McAin a conservative? No you cannot. He crossed the isle so many times in the past to create law with the progressive left it's not even funny. So no, conservatives are not always republicans. As a matter of fact, I would say that maybe only half of republicans are true conservatives "And that would be pushing it". Remember Obamie using Mcains crossing the isle to work with the left so much during the 2008 campaign? "True conservatives would not work with the left on radical bills that violate our constitution".
On the other hand, by the signing of Obama care the whole democrat party proved they are nothing less then fascist progressives. Only the ones they didn't need votes from and was running for re-election in 2010 did not vote for it, but had the left needed those votes they would have walked the plank to get them.
Dont kid yourself, the biggest threat to America and our constitution right now is the progressive left that we call the Democrat party, and also progressives in the GOP like Olympia snow and Lisa Murkowski "Who stole an election by way of false absentee balloting" and also Lindsey Graham who is not fooling anyone outside of his district.