> I vote according to my pet wedge issue (usually guns or abortion), sorry.

As much as I agree with the left on both these issues... I would rather give up on these as politically untenable rather than lose every other issue to Republicans.

I don't know if this would just lead to other wedge issues ad infinitum, and I don't know how you would get that idea through a democratic primary (though there are christian democrats), and then motivate the democratic base to vote for you...

But if there are wedge issues that could swing large chunks of the electorate, it might be worth just giving in on a few specific issues until public opinion changes.