What is a born-again Conservative? To me, it is one who claims to be Conservative, but who in the past while in elected office supported anti-Conservative measures.
Often called RINOs (“Republicans in Name Only”), these individuals voted for big-government, pork-barrel, nanny-state laws, that are the antithesis of what a true Conservative would stand for.
A good example is Sen. John McCain. In the past you could justly accuse him of betraying the Conservative movement. But now he is taking what appears to be a more solid, Conservative approach.
My point here is not to debate the particulars of McCain’s political philosophy. It is to wonder whether any of the “born-again” Conservatives can be trusted to stay true to their promises.
I tend to remain skeptical. Thus in a race where there is a proven “true” Conservative pitted against a “Born-Again” Conservative, all other things being equal, I would tend to favor the true Conservative.