Rich people need their cut! Who cares if everyone with a degree says this is the best tool for surviving our own oil greed. Less money for our kids' survival means more money for conservative boondoggles.
And if the marginally-clued incumbents won't play ball, then bully 'em. You know they're flashing back to grade school when they do.
To be fair though, our conservatives desperately want to be republicans. We have an entire province whose premiere (governor) legitimately wants to be the US’s 51st state and has invited Tucker Carlson to give a talk.