This is the tragic pathology of the modern conservative movement: we are far more comfortable being right than being in charge. Liberals, by contrast, like power the way alcoholics like alcohol — viscerally, instinctively, without apology or restraint. Conservatives, when we do seek power, pursue it like wine connoisseurs — swirling, sniffing, and discussing vintage, more obsessed with how it’s acquired and presented than what it’s used for.