how did the fear of alienating the border states affect nothern strategy during the war?

President Lincoln is "reported to have said that he hoped to have God on his side, but he had to have Kentucky." That's from this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_states_(Civil_War)

I don't think the Northerners worried about it very much since the Southern states were already seceding.

You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us_civil_war

=)