By Drew Armstrong, CQ Staff

While immigration, gay rights, gun control and trade have roiled the national debate over the past few years, at the Democratic convention they are taking a side stage — or no stage at all. Red meat on such issues, which are dear to liberal hearts, has fallen victim to the party’s success in the 2006 election and the story line that grew out of it: that moderate Democrats defeated Republicans in many conservative districts partly by taking positions on those issues that were atypical of the party.

As a result, the conventional wisdom is that Democratic leaders will want to play down contentious social issues in order to push deeper into Republican territory.

“That was definitely the narrative that was written that year,” said John Marble, spokesman for the gay rights group Stonewall Democrats.

For example, while anti-free-trade Democrats such as Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio are still pushing to get the country out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and similar trade agreements, much of the highlight in the convention’s presentation about the economy has been about energy issues and the transition to a “green” economy that moves beyond the old-school industrial economy Brown is trying to defend.

Even labor leaders seem resigned to the relative silence on trade.

“I don’t think they’re going to make it a big deal here,” said International Brotherhood of Teamsters head James P. Hoffa at an event Tuesday where he railed against free-trade agreements.

Advocacy groups for many of these issues count themselves happy with the Democratic platform, which pays heed to their positions, but in the media spectacle that makes up the convention, they are not getting nearly as much play.

And while almost all of these issues are being touched on by the dozens of speakers lined up each night at the Pepsi Center, they have not been a central part of the Democratic message.

On immigration, Rep. Joe Baca of California said of the convention agenda, “We aren’t doing enough,” and that he was disappointed that an immigration overhaul was on the back burner.

But while immigration was not taking the spotlight, Baca said he was confident in the candidate’s commitment. Obama has “made a commitment — he’s not going to waffle on that,” Baca said.

Gun control, as well, has received barely a mention. Asked whether Democrats were downplaying it at the convention, “Blue Dog” Rep. Heath Shuler , D-N.C., said, “No question about it.” Many Democrats in purple states and rural areas, where the party has tried to secure a beachhead, have constituencies that are strong believers in gun rights.

“I think hunters and anglers are up for grabs,” said Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation. “More of the lawmakers are starting to understand that.”

Gay rights activists say they have been trying to bring their constituency into the mainstream by encouraging politicians to think beyond sexuality. Activists want lawmakers to approach the community like any other electoral bloc, made up of gay union members, gay African-Americans, gay women and so on.