You're lumping Cp. Beware using a a generality to define specific cases. To many, conservative or liberal means...well whatever they want it to, which might mean anything. The types of conservatives that are against big government are fiscal conservatives; many libertarian types fit this description: and yes, they would not be opposed to gay marraige because they believe in personal liberty in a strict sense, hence the title 'libert'arian. However, for many, conservative means to conserve the old ways, often in a biblical sense. To religious conservatives, gay marriage is an offense against god, and moreover, they wouldn't mind the government going into hock till doomsday if it meant establishing a theocracy: these are your hard core 'rapture fundies.' They're conservatives alright, but in a far different sense. Same applies to the term liberal. You really have to ask yourself specifically what is is a liberal wants to make free, or what a conservative wants to conserve? Once you do that, you come up with a wide range of profiles; however, much of the political sentiment in America still simmers between the two sides going back to the civil war, as can be seen in the geographic voting patterns in national elections.
