Why is it Gawain that when a conservative makes an outrageous statement it is automatically considered tongue and cheek? I think I know the answer, but the rhetorical question stands.

the reason I think this is because conservativism is ridiculously outrageous to begin with so any hyperbole added to it is automatically funny, but this does not mean that the person making is somehow not agreeing with themselves when they say it. I am 100% sure they mean everything they say when they say it.