"All I'm saying is, we have to close the gap a little bit between the rhetoric and the reality... This is part of what's happened in our politics. Where we demonize the other side so much, that when it comes to actually getting things done, it becomes tough to do." - B.O., 01/29/10

Barack Obama, January 29, 2010

"All I'm saying is, we have to close the gap a little bit between the rhetoric and the reality. I'm not saying we're going to agree on everything, whether it’s on healthcare or energy or what have you, but if the way these issues are being presented by the Republicans, is that this is some wild-eyed plot to impose huge government in every aspect of our lives, what happens is that you guys then don’t have a lot of room to negotiate with me. I mean the fact of the matter is that many of you, if you voted with the administration on something [then you] are politically vulnerable in your own base, in your own party. You’ve given yourselves very little room to work in a bipartisan fashion because what you’ve been telling your constituents is, “this guy’s doing all types of crazy stuff that’s going to destroy America.” I would just say is that we have to think about tone—it’s not just on your side, by the way—it’s on our side as well. This is part of what’s happened in our politics. Where we demonize the other side so much, that when it comes to actually getting things done, it becomes tough to do."

Link to the video