ll political power," Chairman Mao said, "comes out of the barrel of a gun." Perhaps in a Communist tyranny that is true. In the United States, however, power comes from the people. And the people who influence the broad masses. In our list we identify who these "influencers" are — the 25 most influential Republicans. These powerful people are at the very top of the party's unofficial hierarchy. We excluded officeholders, such as members of Congress and the president, and even members of the media closely aligned with the GOP. Their identities and power are usually well known to the public. Instead, our 25 influencers are well known within political circles, but may not be as well known to the general public.  We have categorized these elite Republicans in three groups. Least known are the "Insiders & Strategists" — the movers and shakers who help to formulate the policies that the president and Congress are seeking to implement. The "Money Makers" are the wealthy Brahmins of the party, who back not only candidates but political causes and think tanks in an effort to shape the public debate. And then there are the "Political Activists," who reach out to millions in the grass roots, helping to frame public opinion and win elections. In Washington, power often has been judged by who returns your calls, and how quickly. Those who can arrange a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten, Vice President Dick Cheney, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are at the top of the heap of powerful and influential players. And while money is often a path to political influence, it alone means little. For example, Grover Norquist, who has a place on our list, is not a billionaire and not known for wealth. He's not an officeholder. But his nonprofit group Americans for Tax Reform is a powerful force. Virtually every Republican candidate, including those competing in congressional and state races across the country, is expected to sign his "Taxpayer Protection Pledge." By doing so, a candidate promises to oppose any effort to raise the marginal tax rates or eliminate deductions (unless nixed deductions are matched dollar-for-dollar by further reductions in taxes). Now that's power. Then there is the influence of the religious right. In 1980, when Ronald Reagan made an alliance with Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority, he created a new voting coalition for the Republican Party.  Today, influencers like Dr. James Dobson hold incredible sway over the evangelical voters. Stalin once asked mockingly, "How many divisions does the Pope have?" In effect, quite a few, as it turned out. So the truism resonates with evangelical leaders here in the United States. Devoid of the schoolteachers and union activists who serve as the ground troops for the Democrats during elections, the Republicans have had to rely on activists. The Christian churches have played a key role in turning out not just voters but organizers and volunteers for the GOP political machine. Whatever their political taxonomy, however, one thing is certain about our roster of the 25 most influential Republicans. In a city where power is the ultimate form of riches, this group represents a trove of political treasure.  — Ronald Kessler

McCain's chief strategist. His work for McCain is full time but unpaid. Several high-level but volunteer advisory posts.

Power/Influence:

Helped mastermind the campaigns of several top GOP stars; brilliant at uncovering and publicizing the weaknesses of political opponents. Usually a flawless tactician, Black recently was criticized for telling Fortune magazine that a terrorist attack on American soil would be a "big advantage" to McCain's campaign — and he has also taken fire for lobbying on behalf of dictators.

Role in Campaign '08:

Ambush Obama.

Who Knew: Pulled together the troops when McCain's campaign began unraveling last June. "He provided wise advice at a crucial time," says Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Chairman of the Gingrich Group, a communications and consulting firm; general chairman of American Solutions for Winning the Future; senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; news and political analyst for the Fox News Channel.

Power/Influence:

Gingrich has been a leading voice for conservative Republicans ever since he co-authored the 1994 "Contract with America" that helped the GOP regain a majority in the House for the first time in 40 years.

Role in Campaign '08:

Gingrich was mentioned as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2008, but withdrew his name from consideration in September 2007 to focus his attention on American Solutions.

Who Knew: In 1995, Gingrich was bitten on the chin by a baby cougar during an appearance with TV host and zoologist Jack Hanna.

Co-founder and editor of the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard; Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times.

Power/Influence:

A consistent and unequivocal supporter of a hard line in the war on terror, including advocating victory in the Iraq war. Kristol also works behind the scenes with several conservative organizations and think tanks, becoming a prime mover in shaping GOP policy in the White House and on Capitol Hill.

Role in Campaign '08:

A foreign policy adviser to McCain's campaign.

Who Knew: Steered the unsuccessful 1988 U.S.
Senate campaign of Alan Keyes — his former graduate school roommate.

Founder of Luntz, Maslanksy Strategic Research in Alexandria, Va., a corporate and political consultant/pollster.

Power/Influence:

A self-described "change agent," Luntz tells Newsmax that "a lot of [Republicans] think of me as a bomb thrower because I think they're doing so badly. I believe the party needs a wholesale change. I am blessed with a platform that allows me to communicate that."

Role in Campaign '08:

Luntz has run focus groups after presidential debates for the Fox News Channel. "From Sean Hannity to Bill Maher, I get a chance to speak up, and I use it to speak out," he tells Newsmax.

Who Knew: Luntz once spoke for 24 straight hours as part of the Oxford Union Society Guinness World Book of Records debate.

Editor in chief of Threshold Editions, the new political imprint of Simon & Schuster; board member of the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute. 

Power/Influence:

Served the Republican National Committee (RNC) during the Reagan Revolution. She was national voter-contact director for the Reagan-Bush campaign; senior strategist in President George H.W. Bush's campaign; RNC chief of staff and deputy campaign manager for political operations. She advised President George W. Bush on national and homeland security, energy, and the economy. She regularly appears on television, offering colorful and insightful punditry — often against her Democratic strategist husband James Carville.

Role in Campaign '08:

Matalin tells Newsmax she has no official role during this political season, although she emphasizes, "I plan to support and help John McCain in any way I can."

Chairman and CEO, Carly Fiorina Enterprises; Victory '08 Chairman, Republican National Committee.

Power/Influence:

Fiorina hopped aboard John McCain's bandwagon almost two years ago, sticking with him even when most pundits didn't give him a prayer. Considered at one point the top businesswoman in the United States, Fiorina gives McCain's campaign instant credibility where it needs it most — business and economics. Although she's new to the political realm, Fiorina has proven herself a fast learner, and there are already whispers of a possible Cabinet appointment for her — if her new boss can pull off an upset.  

Role in Campaign '08:

Fiorina is traveling the country speaking on McCain's behalf, especially on creating jobs and growing the economy.

Who Knew: Her unconventional route to the board room included stints as a medieval-history major, a law-school dropout, and a secretary. She holds masters degrees from the University of Maryland and MIT.

Sen. McCain's closest political adviser (in 2000 and 2008), speechwriter, confidant, and co-author of two of his best-selling books.

Power/Influence:

Over the past 20 years, Salter has become known as McCain's alter ego. In that role, he has accumulated political power as a top go-to person for all things related to McCain.

Role in Campaign '08:

Salter has had a heavy hand in almost every major McCain decision since they launched the campaign last year.

Who Knew: Salter met McCain at the GOP convention in the New Orleans Superdome in 1988 when he was spotted by then-McCain aide Torie Clarke, who thought Salter was a bodyguard.

Manager of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler's press and public relations division; blogger at www.StoneZone.com.

Power/Influence:

An expert on opposition research and a legend among GOP operatives, he's known for not being afraid to cross any boundary. Republican operatives fear him for his ability to create limitless bad news for anyone who attracts his wrath. One apparent example: Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. The New York Post reported that it was Stone who tipped off the FBI about Spitzer's tryst with a prostitute.

Role in Campaign '08:

He geared up to stop Hillary during the primaries. Will Sen. Barack Obama be his next target?

Who Knew: Employs a full-time veritable bodyguard nicknamed "A-Mill."

Managing partner of D.C.-based lobbying firm Clark & Weinstock, whose client roster has included Pfizer and Microsoft. He is a founding member of the Project for the New American Century, the Council on Foreign Relations, and is chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Power/Influence:

Weber says his strength within the Republican Party comes from the close friendships he has with Democrats such as former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. "I bring to GOP strategy discussions an understanding of how the Democrats are thinking about things, and that's valuable to Republicans," Weber tells Newsmax. "I'm a Republican who works with Democrats a lot. If there's a bipartisan objective to be pursued, that puts me at a good position."

Role in Campaign '08:

A top adviser to Romney, Weber is now part of an extended group of outside advisers to McCain's inner circle. "But there's no lack of dedication," he tells Newsmax. "We're all for John."

Who Knew: A self-described "avid reader of Charles Dickens and a half-a** fisherman."

An author and speaker, DeLay heads a political consulting firm and has his own blog, TomDeLay.com.

Power/Influence:

After his indictment by a Texas grand jury for alleged conspiracy to violate state election laws and money laundering, DeLay resigned from the House. He pleaded not guilty, and some of the charges have since been dismissed. But he remains a highly regarded figure in conservative political circles.

Today, DeLay provides counsel to campaigns and runs a conservative blog. The secret to DeLay's influence: He knows how to win elections. His mastery of detail — rather than his ability to formulate a message — is what makes him a success.

"I've spent the last two years amassing research on how the left has come to be such a political force, despite their fundamental lack of leadership and ideals," DeLay tells Newsmax.

Role in Campaign '08:

DeLay mostly will be active behind the scenes, occasionally stepping forward to set the record straight. He tells Newsmax: "Now I spend all of my time working with conservative activists and leaders to fill the voids in our movement so when the left picks on us, they'll take on a force their own size."

Who Knew: DeLay and his wife, Christine, who are foster parents, have become tireless advocates for child welfare, raising millions for charities that protect kids.

Chairman of Focus on the Family, which he founded in 1977.

Power/Influence:

Dobson's daily Focus on the Family radio program, which promotes strong family values, is carried on more than 7,000 stations worldwide, and his TV show is reportedly seen on about 60 U.S. stations. A staunch conservative, Dobson is widely credited with getting out the Christian vote for Republicans in 2004 and was recently named the most influential evangelical leader in America by Christianity Today magazine.

Role in Campaign '08:

Dobson dealt a devastating blow to Fred Thompson's presidential aspirations last year when he said the former senator was not a Christian. He initially said he would not vote for McCain for president, voicing concerns about McCain's conservative credentials, but appeared to change his mind in July. "I never thought I would hear myself saying this," Dobson told his radio audience. "While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might."
If Dobson sits out this election, that could spell big trouble for Republicans.

Who Knew: Dobson conducted a jailhouse interview with serial killer Ted Bundy in 1989, just hours before Bundy was executed. Bundy told Dobson he was driven to kill women because of his experiences with violent pornography.

President of the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; host of three national radio programs.

Power/Influence:

Involved in politics from youth — campaigning for President Nixon in junior high and Barry Goldwater in senior high — Land withdrew from partisan involvement when he joined the SBC, which has 16 million members in more than 42,000 churches. Land was an integral part of the "conservative resurgence" in 1979, which successfully brought the organization back to its conservative roots. He was named by Time magazine as one of America's most influential evangelicals.

Role in Campaign '08:

"I don't endorse candidates," Land tells Newsmax. "I'm looking for candidates who endorse my values."

Who Knew: "I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, and have read one of her novels every year in rotation. Although I've read Pride and Prejudice five times, I still find it thrilling."

President of Americans for Tax Reform.

Power/Influence:

If Norquist is going to work against a particular GOP politician or a particular law, it would be hard to find many D.C.-based GOP operatives who would question or stand in his way. He operates as a key bridge or link between the GOP's business community and the GOP's social conservative community. He hosts a weekly Wednesday informational meeting attended by all the GOP's power players in his Americans for Tax Reform office.

Role in Campaign '08:

Stridently working against Obama and other pro-tax politicians trying to get elected or re-elected to office.

Who Knew: Norquist serves on "Funniest Celebrity in DC" board and has performed stand-up at the Improv and Warner Theatre.

Chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association; host of Crime Strike, a syndicated weekly TV program.

Power/Influence:

The key to LaPierre's power is the NRA's ability to galvanize grass-roots supporters to win elections. The NRA has 4 million members and can energize millions of gun owners across the country. Democrats have learned that they risk defeat if they try to take on the NRA on gun-rights issues. LaPierre will be using the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the right to own guns in Washington, D.C., to challenge gun-regulation laws across the country. "What motivates me," LaPierre tells Newsmax, "is the concern that the America being designed right now won't resemble the America we've been defending."

Role in Campaign '08:

The NRA plans to spend about $40 million on this year's campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to portraying Obama as a threat to Second Amendment rights.

Who Knew: In 2007, LaPierre took on CNN, saying in a CNN interview about a ban on assault weapons, "Let me say it again. In front of the whole country, your reporter faked that story yesterday."

Founder and CEO of Century Strategies.

Power/Influence:

In 1994, the Christian Coalition energized evangelicals with 33 million voter guides and helped usher in the Republican Revolution. A Time magazine cover story said Reed's success represented "the most thorough penetration of the secular world of American politics by an essentially religious organization in this century." Under Reed's leadership of the Georgia Republican Party in 2002, Republicans won the governorship for the first time since Reconstruction, gained control of the state Senate, won a U.S. Senate seat, and elected two new members of Congress.

Role in Campaign '08:

"I was offered senior campaign roles by three Republican presidential candidates in 2008, but declined," Reed tells Newsmax. "I had too many good friends running in 2008, so I decided to remain neutral in the primary." He supports McCain. He could play a powerful role in energizing the Christian Right which remains blasé about McCain.

Who Knew: In 1983, after witnessing a politician drinking and carousing with a woman not his wife, Reed went to a phone booth, looked up a church in the directory, and soon committed his life to Christ.

Heads the Free Congress Foundation; co-founder of the Heritage Foundation.

Power/Influence:

Because Weyrich is a trusted and informed source, he has credibility and influence throughout the conservative movement. Nor is he afraid to stand up to politicians when he disagrees with them. Weyrich tells Newsmax: "My father was a blue-collar worker, but he was very well educated by his own initiative. He was a strong Catholic conservative. He taught me basic principles, which I use to this day. I am motivated by my family. I hope my father, watching us from above, is proud of what my good wife Joyce and I have done. Being the sinner that I am, I only hope at the last judgment the Lord can say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'

Who Knew: He is an ordained protodeacon in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Since 2001, a spinal injury has left Weyrich in a wheelchair.

Chairman, American Target Advertising, Inc.; president and chairman, ConservativeHQ.com.

Power/Influence:

Viguerie helped transform American politics in the '60s and '70s by pioneering the use of direct mail to raise money for conservatives, which contributed to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. Known for his willingness to buck the Republican establishment, Viguerie prides himself on being "the GOP's No. 1 nightmare," blowing the whistle when the Party fails to live up to conservative principles. Viguerie, a lifelong Republican, says the GOP has linked itself to big government, K Street lobbyists, and earmarks, and he predicts '08 will be an "abysmal" election year.

Role in Campaign '08:

Already looking past 2008, Viguerie says McCain lacks the conservative support needed to win. "The conservative movement will revive once the voters kill off what's left of the Republican Party in November," he says, adding: "The new conservative movement will seek to become the dominant force in American politics, rather than a mere appendage of the Republican Party."

Who Knew: Viguerie resided in New York's Greenwich Village during the early '60s. While he assures Newsmax he wasn't wearing sandals or reciting Beatnik poetry during those years, his friendships continue to cross party lines and include Lanny Davis, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and Al Franken.

Chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which owns casinos in Las Vegas, Singapore, and on China's island of Macau.

Wealth:

Estimated at $26 billion (12th-richest person in the world, and the third-richest American).

Power/Influence:

Adelson, the main backer behind Freedom's Watch — a pro-Israel, pro-President Bush political organization — is often described as the Republican equivalent to the Democrats' George Soros. Adelson has been reluctant to embrace that role, however.

Role in Campaign '08:

Funding Freedom's Watch political activities.

Who Knew: Adelson's hero is Kirk Kerkorian, the American-Armenian billionaire, who like Adelson is a college dropout and a big investor in Las Vegas casinos.

President of the World Jewish Congress; art collector.

Wealth:

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz estimated his worth at $2.7 billion.

Power/Influence:

While he currently has no official connection to the Republican Party, Lauder is one of the party's most prominent money men and its most influential figure in New York State. Lauder was a key backer of Republican Gov. George Pataki during his three terms in Albany. He is a strong hawk on defense and on Israel. Closely aligned with Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

Role in Campaign '08:

Fundraising. Also, one of his political confidants, Nelson Warfield, worked briefly as a media consultant to Fred Thompson's 2008 primary campaign.

Who Knew: Lauder lost a 1989 primary contest to Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Owner and CEO of Dole Food.

Wealth:

Estimated at $4 billion, with interests in food production, real estate, and Hawaiian wind farms.

Power/Influence:

Murdock is not an ardent social conservative and is something of an environmentalist, but his endorsement is widely sought. He is a huge GOP fundraiser, and hosted multiple fundraising events for President George W. Bush. His endorsement of Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle in 2002 swayed other out-of-state Republican donors to contribute heavily to her campaign.

Role in Campaign '08:

Supporting the Republican National Committee heavily with donations.

Who Knew: He is a ninth-grade dropout.

National co-finance director for McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. He's a big GOP donor who has poured in more than $4 million to the pro-GOP Progress for America organization, in addition to more than $18 million to Republican candidates since 2006.

Wealth:

Estimated at $3 billion.

Power/Influence:

A low-flying billionaire with a great degree of respect and influence. Though, many GOP operatives are wary of Perenchio's ties to anti-English First groups, his pro-business conservatism, as well as his generous giving to the Ronald Reagan Ranch, papers over any animosity and gives him much influence in the party.

Role in Campaign '08:

Huge financer of the McCain '08 campaign; trusted adviser to the Arizona senator.

Who Knew: He lives in the mansion used to film The Beverly Hillbillies.

Chairman of Dallas-based BP Capital Management and operates two hedge funds, Capital Commodity and Capital Equity. Pickens recently started up Mesa Water, which owns the water rights to 200,000 acres with the intent of providing drinking water to Dallas. He also owns Clean Energy (formerly Pickens Fuel Corp.) to develop sources of natural gas, and recently formed Mesa Power LP, which announced in April 2008 the development of $2 billion worth of power wind farms.

Wealth:

$3 billion (117th-richest person in the United States).

Power/Influence:

After a brief attempt at running for president in 1988, he has backed several GOP causes and candidates. He has financially contributed to President George W. Bush in his Texas and national campaigns. In 2004, Pickens gave contributions to 527 Republican groups, including $3 million to the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth attacking John Kerry's war record. He also gave $2.5 million to the Progress for America advocacy group. In July 2007, Pickens came out early in support of Rudy Giuliani for president and put his considerable influence behind making the former New York mayor the nominee, proving that even money and power have their limits.

Role in Campaign '08:

Pickens has stated repeatedly that he will vote for McCain, but will not financially support him in hopes that both parties will listen to his proposed alternative-energy plan.

Who Knew: Texas A&M University withdrew its $25-a-month basketball scholarship Pickens was going to use to pay for college. The school decided Pickens was too short and "not fast enough to scatter leaves." He went to Oklahoma State University instead, where he earned a degree in geology in 1951. Since then, Pickens has donated $400 million to OSU.

National finance co-chairman for McCain's presidential campaign.

Wealth:

Undisclosed.

Power/Influence:

One of the GOP's most prominent money men, Reynolds has access to thousands of well-heeled donors around the country — particularly past supporters of George W. Bush. Reynolds' ties to President Bush go back to his Texas days running Arbusto Energy, an oil company founded by Bush. As the company teetered near insolvency, Reynolds' Spectrum 7 oil company bought out Arbusto. Later, Reynolds was a key investor in Bush's purchase of the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Role in Campaign '08:

He became McCain's national finance co-chair in mid-February and helped McCain raise more than $50 million.

Who Knew: Reynolds was the driving force behind the creation of Reynolds Plantation, an 8,000-acre lake and golf community built on Lake Oconee, east of Atlanta, Ga.

Co-chairman of William E. Simon and Sons LLC, an investment firm he co-founded in 1988 along with his father, William Simon, a former U.S. Treasury secretary; co-chairman of the Cynthia L. and William E. Simon Jr. Foundation.

Wealth:

Undisclosed

Power/Influence:

Simon was the most influential member of Giuliani's presidential campaign following his appointment as national policy director in February 2007. He was referred to as Giuliani's "professor," and McCain has called him a "conservative leader." Prior to that, Simon ran for California governor. Once the base of the national GOP, California has increasingly become a Blue State. But it remains important for the Party, and Simon is Reagan's heir there.

Role in Campaign '08:

Simon endorsed McCain in January, saying his fellow Republican's "experience and judgment are precisely the qualities needed in our next commander in chief."

Who Knew: Simon dropped out of the running in the 2003 special election for California governor, but still finished 12th in a field of 135 candidates.

Chairman of Sarah Scaife Foundation, Allegheny Foundation, and Carthage Foundation; owner, chairman, and publisher of Trib Total Media, a 22-newspaper group in western Pennsylvania, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; vice-chairman of the Heritage Foundation board of trustees.

Wealth:

Estimated by Forbes magazine to be in excess of $1.2 billion.

Power/Influence:

An heir to the Mellon banking fortune, Scaife has used his wealth to provide financial support for organizations and think tanks that advocate conservative principles of limited government, free enterprise, and a strong national defense. The liberal People for the American Way organization estimates that the Scaife Foundations have channeled over $340 million to conservative groups over a 30-year period, more than any other individual or group. Scaife became a political powerhouse backing Richard Nixon in his presidential campaigns. In 1972, he gave nearly $1 million to re-elect Nixon, but later called for Nixon's resignation in the wake of Watergate. Scaife was also an early backer of then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan.

Role in Campaign '08:

Scaife's Tribune-Review endorsed John McCain in February, calling him "fiercely independent." More recently the paper has said McCain "clearly stands head and shoulders above Barack Obama."

Scaife's Tribune-Review also surprised many when it endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race two days before the Pennsylvania primary.

Who Knew: Scaife had been a critic of Bill Clinton, whose White House called Scaife the head of the "vast right wing conspiracy." In recent years the two have become friends, and Scaife donated $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation.

Note: Scaife is a shareholder in the parent company of this magazine.

The following correspondents contributed to this report: Thomas Cheplick, Mike Coppock,
Nancy French, John Mercurio, Jim Meyers, and Edward Sigall.