In one of the most important years ever in the battle for gay rights, it would be remiss to overlook the electoral effects of the issue on the 2012 presidential race.

Earlier this year, President Obama reversed himself to become the first president to back gay marriage, and this week, the Democratic Party came closer to adopting language supporting same-sex marriage in its party platform.

Meanwhile, a fast-food restaurant, Chick-fil-A, has become the latest cultural flashpoint in the battle after its president condemned gay marriage earlier this month.

Predictably, that raised the ire of gay-marriage advocates and prompted some Democratic mayors to threaten potential Chick-fil-A expansion into their cities.

To read more on this story from The Hill go to  http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/christian-heinze/241461-gay-marriage-issue-could-have-lasting-electoral-effects