A. The most Conservative Catholics who vote solely on social issues and would be swayed by a Vatican letter were going to vote for Dubya anyway. So it didn't affect them.
B. The President was likely elected by Catholics who go to Mass but might not be so gung-ho about all the Church's teachings. For them, the Church getting involved in politics is a bad thing, because they don't want to hear a lecture about abortion at Mass; they want to hear about how they can be a better person.
C. Injecting the Church into politics makes it harder for it to minister to all people and therefore does damage it.
C. Injecting the Church into politics makes it harder for it to minister to all people and therefore does damage it.
Not standing for anything makes it harder for the church to minister to all people. Following the example of the Episcopalians, where many of their priests don't believe in the Godhood of Jesus Christ. would be church suicide.
There have been plenty of instances where the American Catholic Church (National Council of Bishops) has intruded itself into politics, remember the declaration against Nuclear Weapons? I read my Bible over and over and didn't find anything about that issue. The liberals liked it then, those courageous bishops standing up to Reagan (and for murderous communism!).
The Church has plenty to worry about regarding minstering to all people but will be more successful when it doesn't let Catholics in-name-only act as if they can be stand-in Popes.