The blue dogs could certainly be considered conservatives. The problem with that label, and the liberal label, is that it presumes a continuum of right to left, with most people somewhere in the center. The real world is a lot more complex than that.
I think a political philosophy has to have at least three dimensions, maybe four, just like the real world.
There is the X axis, from favoring a strong central government to favoring a weak central government, the traditional liberal/conservative dichotomy. Then, there is the Y axis, from authoritarian to libertarian. Most of the people who call themselves "conservative" tend to be on the authoritarian side, but is that really conservative? I don't think so. Then, there is the Z axis, from pragmatic to ideological, do what works, or stick to your ideology no matter what. I've come to think that there is a fourth as well, from isolationist to neoconservative, or favoring the values of the PNAC. When people throw around the terms "conservative" and "liberal" I like to ask just what they mean. When a self described conservative uses the term "liberal" or "lib" as a pejorative, it makes me wonder just what their real philosophy might be, and how they define the term. As a rule, they mean, "anyone who has an opinion different from mine." I find that philosophy simplistic. Just my opinion.
