Wedge issues in history? (Kennedy, abortion, politicians, economy)

[bchris02]

Gay rights is the biggest wedge issue of our time, followed closely by abortion. Climate change comes in a distant third but is a similar issue. Politicians on both sides know they can appeal to the base on these two issues and get a pass on everything else. These are the issues people are the most emotional about and the most passionate about when they go to the ballot box. For many people, these issues are what determine whether they vote D or R. The ironic thing is, these two top issues personally affect the least amount of people. Keep in mind that doesn't mean they aren't important, but to be the top issues people think about when voting, it seems like people have their priorities in the wrong place.

Mitt Romney proved though you can't run a campaign on the economy alone and expect to win. Gay rights and abortion stir emotions and that's what drives people to the polls. The Republican base largely stayed home in 2012.

Now lets go back in time. Back before 1973, when abortion was still a states issue and homosexuality was still taboo, did politicians cling to wedge issues like they do today? My personal instinct is probably not, but I wasn't alive during the Eisenhower or Kennedy years so I don't know for sure.

Was the civil rights movement a huge wedge issue in the 60s or were politicians focused on Vietnam? What about in the 1950s...I imagine that space race and Soviet Union were huge issues then. All of these issues however affected exponentially more people than gay rights or abortion. What are your thoughts?