Something else to note about “wedge” issues. Abortion, racial preferences, the driving of faith out of the public square and gay marriage—the 4 most contentious “wedge”issues— all share one thing in common:
Democrats have advanced them by doing end runs around the democratic process. All have been decided entirely or in large part by judges. That makes them constitutional issues. People could lose on any of them in congress or in the state legislatures and not become inflamed by the result. There is always the next election. But when judges issue diktats which cannot be overriden by a vote...all hell breaks loose. Democrats have no one to blame but themselves for these “wedge” issues being so incendiary.
Good point illustrating how to work to defuse a wedge attempted against you. Find what's common to all the possibly wedge-able factions and unite behind that banner.