--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is possible to work across the aisle…" description: "\"It is possible to work across the aisle in Washington, but it's hard. And I think it's been made worse by the kind of 24-hour news cycle, the fact that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg" --- # It is possible to work across the aisle in Washington, but… ![“It is possible to work across the aisle in Washington, but it's hard. And I think it's been made worse by the kind of 24-hour news cycle, the fact that everything is on TV before you can work things out quietly. I think it's the intensity of information that makes it feel more difficult to get…” quote by Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg) > “It is possible to work across the aisle in Washington, but it's hard. And I think it's been made worse by the kind of 24-hour news cycle, the fact that everything is on TV before you can work things out quietly. I think it's the intensity of information that makes it feel more difficult to get things done. But I didn't leave with a bitter taste about the politics. The one thing that I would say is, I do think there is an unfortunate tendency to turn political differences, or policy differences, into critiques of one another's character or motives, and that's unfortunate.” [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker notes that intense, 24‑hour news cycles hinder quiet bipartisan collaboration, leading to personal attacks instead of policy focus. **In simple terms:** Constant news pressure makes bipartisan work hard and turns policy debates into personal attacks. Key Takeaway Encourage private, focused policy discussions. Themes politics bipartisanship media communication character Mood reflective optimistic Type analytical prescriptive When to use this quote - legislative sessions - media briefings - campaign strategy - public debates Key Concepts public discourse policy making media influence Questions to Reflect On - How can politicians foster civility under media scrutiny? - What mechanisms reduce personal attacks in policy debates? A Different Perspective The quote may overlook successful bipartisan efforts despite media pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitter taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter-taste/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Critique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critique/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-differences/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When a man has his heart in the right place and good taste, he can not only do well in politics but is even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/when-a-man-has-his-heart-in-the-right-place-and-good-taste-he-can-not/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Let the massacres remind us to turn down our political volume and venom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/let-the-massacres-remind-us-to-turn-down-our-political-volume-and/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [Everybody tries to take a tragedy and turn it to their own political purposes, and it's both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-van-gundy/everybody-tries-to-take-a-tragedy-and-turn-it-to-their-own-political/) [Stan Van Gundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-van-gundy/) > [I hated cracking the whip, and these juries turn into political things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-hated-cracking-the-whip-and-these-juries-turn-into-political-things/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [Sooner I'd try to change history than turn political, than try convincing others to write letters or to vote or to march or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/sooner-i-d-try-to-change-history-than-turn-political-than-try/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [I would love to just write and not have everything I say or do turn into a political battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-would-love-to-just-write-and-not-have-everything-i-say-or-do-turn/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [Can you let your son's body become the same temperature as your son's head before you turn this into a political campaign against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/can-you-let-your-son-s-body-become-the-same-temperature-as-your-son-s/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Until relatively recently, mass political movements were still about basic rights of food, shelter, education and self sufficiency. The reasons fewer people vote these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-diamond/until-relatively-recently-mass-political-movements-were-still-about/) [John Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-diamond/) > [Look, I get it. Whether it's school, work, family, we've all got a lot on our minds. People say to me, "I'm just too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/look-i-get-it-whether-it-s-school-work-family-we-ve-all-got-a-lot-on/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [Politics is a thing that only the unsophisticated can really go for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/politics-is-a-thing-that-only-the-unsophisticated-can-really-go-for/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-you-read-and-observe-about-this-politics-thing-you-got-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Politics is a thing that is kind of the same over and over and over again. But we have to find new ways of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/politics-is-a-thing-that-is-kind-of-the-same-over-and-over-and-over/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [“Revenge is like politics, one thing always leads to another until bad has become worse, and worse has become worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/revenge-is-like-politics-one-thing-always-leads-to-another-until-bad/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-read-and-observe-about-this-politics-thing-the-more-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [When I decided to come into politics, the one thing that I had in my mind was to help the weaker sections. Therefore, nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayawati/when-i-decided-to-come-into-politics-the-one-thing-that-i-had-in-my/) [Mayawati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayawati/) ## More by Condoleezza Rice > [The Iranian people have a proud past. They merit a great future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-iranian-people-have-a-proud-past-they-merit-a-great-future/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [We can't live true to our set of values unless American educational system is strong. I really believe that if we don't get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/we-can-t-live-true-to-our-set-of-values-unless-american-educational/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I remember at the time of 9/11 that there were women who went out of their way to escort Muslim women to grocery stores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-remember-at-the-time-of-9-11-that-there-were-women-who-went-out-of/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [The first step for a leader is to be right with yourself. Integrity is the basis of leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-first-step-for-a-leader-is-to-be-right-with-yourself-integrity-is/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [A lot is being done to bring additional protective measures, particularly the critical infrastructure locations around the United States, ... There is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/a-lot-is-being-done-to-bring-additional-protective-measures/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/you-cannot-be-on-one-hand-dedicated-to-peace-and-on-the-other/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I'm not personally fearful, but I look out, and there are a number of things that concern me, and I'm hopeful that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-not-personally-fearful-but-i-look-out-and-there-are-a-number-of/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [ \[I'm\] very fortunate and blessed person who still has a lot of living to do. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-very-fortunate-and-blessed-person-who-still-has-a-lot-of-living/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Football is like war. It's about taking territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/football-is-like-war-it-s-about-taking-territory/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I think there are plenty of men out there who are capable and accomplished in their own realm. You don't have to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-think-there-are-plenty-of-men-out-there-who-are-capable-and/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I've always said as a political scientist that "culture" is what we use when we can't explain things. I think it's more about accessibility.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-ve-always-said-as-a-political-scientist-that-culture-is-what-we-use/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I believed Afghanistan was always going to be hard. It's the fifth poorest country in the world. And when you fly over it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-believed-afghanistan-was-always-going-to-be-hard-it-s-the-fifth/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I'm very glad my mother didn't let me quit piano lessons at age 10. She said I wasn't old enough or good enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-very-glad-my-mother-didn-t-let-me-quit-piano-lessons-at-age-10/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [The idea the president of the United States was warned that Al-Qaeda was going to attack the United States and did nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-idea-the-president-of-the-united-states-was-warned-that-al-qaeda/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) [Explore all 365 Condoleezza Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## More Bitter quotes > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [“I doubt taking in a sullen, bitter, teenage girl with more issues than National Geographic is at the center of the vision board for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-doubt-taking-in-a-sullen-bitter-teenage-girl-with-more-issues-than/) [Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Life is too bitter already, without territories and wars and noble feuds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-bitter-already-without-territories-and-wars-and-noble/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/) [Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/) > [“Without the bitter, the sweet ain’t as sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-the-bitter-the-sweet-ain-t-as-sweet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [“In these days in which we live, when existence has become a thing of infinite complexity and fate, if it slips us a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/in-these-days-in-which-we-live-when-existence-has-become-a-thing-of/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) Browse all 1,923 Bitter quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is possible to work across the aisle in Washington, but it's hard. And I think it's been made worse by the kind of 24-hour news cycle, the fact that everything is on TV before you can work things out quietly. I think it's the intensity of information that makes it feel more difficult to get things done. But I didn't leave with a bitter taste about the politics. The one thing that I would say is, I do think there is an unfortunate tendency to turn political differences, or policy differences, into critiques of one another's character or motives, and that's unfortunate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Condoleezza Rice" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle-in-washington-but-it-s-hard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bitter" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle-in-washington-but-it-s-hard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/condoleezza-rice-807_bitter_it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle_1485667.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is possible to work across the aisle in Washington, but it's hard. And I think it's been made worse by…” — Condoleezza Rice", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Condoleezza Rice", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is possible to work across...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle-in-washington-but-it-s-hard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-is-possible-to-work-across-the-aisle-in-washington-but-it-s-hard/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```