As American citizens may have noticed over the last decade or two, utilizing social issues within the context of a campaign can get you some votes, but also leave other voters truly disgusted. “Polarizing rhetoric” is the common charge, and it can work on many levels — President George W. Bush famously used the culture wars to win re-election in 2004, and it was a huge part of the political clashes in the 1990s.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=103682