Why do conservative Republicans hold on to outmoded concepts like coal for dear life — serving vested interests. It is very simple. The ego is the most primitive and conservative part of the mind. Once it latches on to an idea it fights tooth and nail to see to it that its initial assessment is not changed.

It requires a well developed intellect to override the conservative ego, and by definition conservatives lack such intellect, so they are always living and thinking behind the curve of history.

But if not changing one’s view points isn’t good, how does one explain Trump who can turn 180 on a dime? Easy, Trump is a rare exception. He has no thought process what so ever. He only has primitive impulses on a lower order of evaluation (child like)than even conventional conservatives.