Doomed to futility?

Referring back to the Cal Thomas column I mentioned before:

"The primary objective for the Christian should be to seek and to point others toward Jesus, not to political parties and agendas...Fixing social ills does not begin in the halls of Congress or Supreme Court, but in individual human hearts. Government can't go there. God can. But if God's servants prefer government to God, or seek to attach God to political parties and earthly agendas,they are doomed to futility."

There are certain ironies in this approach. For example, Christians want political influence, a lobbyist, a 501c3, an advocacy group, press conferences etc, much like Israel wanted a king, so they could be like everyone else, and God relented giving them Saul. They want worldly power, to go along with the spiritual power most haven't learned to obtain. Also -doesn't imposing personal morality from above (in matters concerning consenting adults) result only in Pharisaism (forced outward conformity), which evangelicals believe is profoundly unspiritual and displeasing to God?