For too many conservatives, “individual rights” is code for their right to remain unburdened by whatever exercise of state power they happen to dislike.Indeed the relationship between conservatives and individualism is a tricky one. My (fairly cursory) reading of Burke and Oakeshott is that they are fairly collectivist, compared to modern liberal and libertarian philosophers.
The difficulty for American conservatives is that America has strong traditions of individual rights, individualism, etc. Conservatives want to defend these things because they are conservatives, but their philosophy is essentially a collectivist one, so often they end up confusing themselves. Conservative rumblings on nationalism are an excellent case in point - nationalism is a highly collectivist ideal, yet one embraced wholeheartedly by those who like to think that they are all about the individual.
Wilkinson makes similar points but in a far funnier way, I suggest you read his piece if you have not yet done so.