According to conservative Human Events magazine, Governor Sarah Palin is the 2008 Conservative of the Year. 

And Ann Coulter has the honor of explaining why Palin is the 2008 Conservative of the Year, in an article more telling than Coulter probably imagined.

The reason why Palin is 2008 Conservative of the Year?  Apparently because she annoys liberals.  Seriously!  Read Coulter's article!  After griping about the unfair media scrutiny Palin received from the lie-beral media, Coulter can offer no reason why Palin represents the best of conservatism other than the fact that she makes liberals' heads explode.

Apparently, this is what "conservatism" means now: bugging the crap out of liberals.  Conservatism is no longer a political ideology designed to improve the life of Americans; it's now just a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Coulter's article reinforces the notion that conservatism has no ideological basis other than to oppose and demonize progressive politics.  Even when conservativism was in its heyday (up to and including 2004, I'd estimate), it was primarily based on opposition to liberalism, and little else.  No wonder movement conservatism is dead.