The danger of the preacher as a party man

"He who preaches salvation to all should never make himself a party man; otherwise he loses the confidence, and consequently the opportunity of doing good to the party against whom he decides."  Those are the words of Adam Clark from the 18th Century commenting on Luke 12:14.  In that passage, Jesus declines to involves himself in a family dispute over an inheritance, instead he preaches a parable on the danger of greed and materialism.  It is always a potential minefield when a man of God chooses to interject his own opinion on a matter such as a family squabble, local issue, or politics.  What of those against whom you weigh in?  How will your opinion on the issue in question affect their willingness or ability to listen to and hear you on matters of faith?  Even if the particular opinion seems to be on solid ground, even if you end up being 100% right about it, what of the cost of to the losing side if they no longer consider the man of God to be approachable?
These are not matters to be taken lightly, I know that many preachers brush off such concerns and readily offer their opinion on anything and everything, but to do so is to put the lives of the Lost at risk.  Better to be thought of as timid and keep your door open to people who don't think like you than to make your every thought known and be applauded by those who already agree with you.  I will preach the Gospel, in season and out of season, with truth and with love.  Is this not task enough, is the weight of responsibility not great enough already?  Let us first be servants of the Word, let us shepherd the people of God, that is care enough for me.