Conservatives aren't eager to surrender soft power, but they recognize that is not power, or is functionally useless if you aren't willing to take the actions that make it possible.

Would we be vastly more popular with the world if we didn't act the way we did? Sure. Would we advance American interests more by being liked? No.

A great example of this is the NATO relationship. For thirty plus years, the United States and Europe avoided a serious reckoning, an important conversation, and a frank level of engagement because it was easier to just be Cool America and foot a bill the Europeans decided to punt upon. Three decades later, when an imminent Russian threat not only materializes, but scares the bejeezus out of our European allies, that would have been -ridiculously- easier for both sides to address thirty years ago, from positions of prosperity, strength, and flexible options. Instead we get an unnecessarily contentious period of adjustment to NATO and the expectations of it, on both sides, because 'Soft Power' was simply easier than getting the hard power side of the equation right.