LOL, since that isn't the reality of conservatism, why say something so silly, conservatives do both at the same time, they are all part of the social conservative package that you are fighting.
Social liberal republicans are the ones weak on defunding the left, they are weak on everything, it is why they hate the conservatives and try to destroy them.
Granted. It comes down to priorities, based on how much "political capital" you have to spend. If you were following the battles in Wisconsin over RTW, it was a hard and tiring battle for the Repubs in the legislature. They chose to spend their finite time and energy on doing something that would make conservative victories easier in the future. RTW is not something that is a SoCon "hot button", but by reducing Dem power via reducing union power, it makes future SoCon victories easier.
If, for example, you want to derail "gay marriage", the best way to do it is to find out what FINANCIAL benefits the gay marriage proponents seek from marriage, and work to nullify their being able to get the benefits. Support for gay marriage would lose a lot of steam at that point.