One difficulty Catholic conservatives faced during the campaign and after the election was the lack of a visible leader through which to leverage political power. The man who would previously have articulated their position, Cardinal John O'Connor, died early in the campaign. His successor, Cardinal Edward Egan, possesses the conservative credentials to inherit that mantle, but he has not yet established himself as O'Connor's political equal. In the interim, Catholic intellectuals, who are always the force behind the Church's leadership, continued to exert political influence over Bush. When DeLay boldly announced to The Washington Post in December that Republicans would force through their agenda regardless of the circumstances surrounding Bush's victory, both parties hurriedly denounced his comments.
Religious conservatives recognize that their clandestine strategy requires a disciplined anonymity.
Almost all of those contacted for this article declined to be interviewed or asked that they not be identified by name. Keeping in mind the example of DeLay, they recognize that they're powerful insofar as they don't draw too much attention to themselves and taint Bush as extremist. By being quiet about it and being successful, they're more powerful than they otherwise would have been. By working with Bush under the radar, Catholic conservatives enable him to appear free of right-wing influence. This stealthy approach paid dividends during Ashcroft's confirmation battle.