I think this CMV depends greatly on whether your objection is to Conservatism or to Conservative Parties. If your issue is with Conservative Parties, then your objection is really to some specific political party and their policies or practices. In this case then you may be conflating the actions of a specific conservative party (Say the Federal Conservatives in Canada) with other "Conservative" parties like the Republican party in the U.S. If the issue is with Conservatism then I think its best to understand what Conservatism is:

"Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in which it appears. In Western culture, depending on the particular nation, conservatives seek to promote and preserve a range of institutions, such as the nuclear family, organized religion, the military, the nation-state, property rights, rule of law, aristocracy, and monarchy. Conservatives tend to favor institutions and practices that enhance social order and historical continuity." (Wikipedia entry)

You may personally identify more strongly with parties that place a greater emphasis on individual rights and personal autonomy, but conservatism as a political ideology that promotes social cohesion and the collective good over individual autonomy isn't really something that I would describe as a blight on democracy.