--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I could leave this body with one wish…" description: "\"If I could leave this body with one wish, it would be that we never give up that search for common ground, .. The politics of common ground will not be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/tom-daschle-18619_body_if-i-could-leave-this-body-with-one-wish_1999096.jpg" --- # If I could leave this body with one wish, it would be that… ![“If I could leave this body with one wish, it would be that we never give up that search for common ground, .. The politics of common ground will not be found on the far right, or on the far left. That is not where most Americans live. We will only find it on the firm middle ground, based on common…” quote by Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/tom-daschle-18619_body_if-i-could-leave-this-body-with-one-wish_1999096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/tom-daschle-18619_body_if-i-could-leave-this-body-with-one-wish_1999096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/tom-daschle-18619_body_if-i-could-leave-this-body-with-one-wish_1999096.jpg) > “If I could leave this body with one wish, it would be that we never give up that search for common ground, .. The politics of common ground will not be found on the far right, or on the far left. That is not where most Americans live. We will only find it on the firm middle ground, based on common sense and shared values.” [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True common ground lies in moderate, shared values, not extreme ideologies; seek middle ground for unity **In simple terms:** Common ground is found in the moderate center, not extremes Key Takeaway Focus on centrist solutions and shared values Themes politics moderation unity Mood thoughtful optimistic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - policy debates - community town halls - grassroots organizing Key Concepts bipartisanship common sense civic dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How can we encourage moderate voices? - What barriers prevent middle‑ground consensus? A Different Perspective Extremes may claim purity; middle can be seen as compromise ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Common ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-ground/) [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Middle ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-ground/) [Never giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-giving-up/) [Shared values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shared-values/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [Let's clean up the Senate and return to politics of common ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pryor/let-s-clean-up-the-senate-and-return-to-politics-of-common-ground/) [Mark Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pryor/) > [I think the people like myself who are in the center ground of politics and who think that center left and center right can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-think-the-people-like-myself-who-are-in-the-center-ground-of/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“The US exports democracy, hence there being very little left for Americans”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/the-us-exports-democracy-hence-there-being-very-little-left-for/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [I'm in England so often I haven't really left, but Americans aren't at all like they're misrepresented through their politicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-in-england-so-often-i-haven-t-really-left-but-americans-aren-t-at/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [If your standards include mutual respect, shared values, and common ground in a relationship, keep them high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-cooper/if-your-standards-include-mutual-respect-shared-values-and-common/) [Brett Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-cooper/) > [The conflicting missions of the two armies seemed to have no fog, no gray, only black-and-white clarity. I had lived my life in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/the-conflicting-missions-of-the-two-armies-seemed-to-have-no-fog-no/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [Liberal politics meant the politics of common-sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-campbell-bannerman/liberal-politics-meant-the-politics-of-common-sense/) [Henry Campbell-Bannerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-campbell-bannerman/) > [“In the progress of politics, as in the common occurrences of life, we are not only apt to forget the ground we have travelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/in-the-progress-of-politics-as-in-the-common-occurrences-of-life-we-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Jazz, like left-wing politics and 'the common man', was a cause .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-t-williams/jazz-like-left-wing-politics-and-the-common-man-was-a-cause/) Martin T. Williams > [Politics is but the common pulse-beat, of which revolution is the fever-spasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/politics-is-but-the-common-pulse-beat-of-which-revolution-is-the/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [In the progress of politics, as in the common occurrences of life, we are not only apt to forget the ground we have travelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/in-the-progress-of-politics-as-in-the-common-occurrences-of-life-we/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [We have to fight terror in one voice, rising above politics. That is when the common people will feel secure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-have-to-fight-terror-in-one-voice-rising-above-politics-that-is/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Most new movements start this way: hundreds or thousands of individuals and groups, working in different fields and different locations, start thinking about change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/most-new-movements-start-this-way-hundreds-or-thousands-of/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [In today's social business marketplace Facebook is one of the best places for nonprofits to be discovered and connect with a larger audience on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/in-today-s-social-business-marketplace-facebook-is-one-of-the-best/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [America rests on shared values rather than shared ethnicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-nye/america-rests-on-shared-values-rather-than-shared-ethnicity/) [Joseph Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-nye/) ## More by Tom Daschle > [We must govern from the middle, or we will not be able to govern at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/we-must-govern-from-the-middle-or-we-will-not-be-able-to-govern-at-all/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [ \[I am\] saddened, saddened, that this president \[Bush\] failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to go to war. Saddened that we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/i-am-saddened-saddened-that-this-president-bush-failed-so-miserably/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [America has lost an icon. Ronald Reagan's leadership will inspire Americans for generations to come. His patriotism and devotion to our country will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/america-has-lost-an-icon-ronald-reagan-s-leadership-will-inspire/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [Iraq is not the only nation in the world to possess weapons of mass destruction, but it is the only nation with a leader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/iraq-is-not-the-only-nation-in-the-world-to-possess-weapons-of-mass/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [We know we're up against the wall. We know how difficult a challenge it is, being in the minority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/we-know-we-re-up-against-the-wall-we-know-how-difficult-a-challenge/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [It was important for us to be as supportive as our candidates and as our incumbent senators would have us be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/it-was-important-for-us-to-be-as-supportive-as-our-candidates-and-as/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [Bipartisanship isn't an option anymore; it is a requirement. The American people have divided responsibility for leadership right down the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/bipartisanship-isn-t-an-option-anymore-it-is-a-requirement-the/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [We need real campaign finance reform to loosen the grip of special interests on politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/we-need-real-campaign-finance-reform-to-loosen-the-grip-of-special/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [Senators, like everyone else, want to feel a part of this decision-making process. They want to feel included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/senators-like-everyone-else-want-to-feel-a-part-of-this-decision/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [We must correct the problems and inequities in the way we conduct and decide elections in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/we-must-correct-the-problems-and-inequities-in-the-way-we-conduct-and/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [As the representatives of the people we are here to declare that our resolve has not been weakened by these horrific and cowardly acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/as-the-representatives-of-the-people-we-are-here-to-declare-that-our/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [This president failed so miserably in diplomacy that we are now forced to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/this-president-failed-so-miserably-in-diplomacy-that-we-are-now/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [People were concerned about national security, and that precluded us from having the opportunity to break through on the issues that we cared most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/people-were-concerned-about-national-security-and-that-precluded-us/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [It would be nice if we could clear up the nominations that are still out there, and there are a lot of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/it-would-be-nice-if-we-could-clear-up-the-nominations-that-are-still/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [We will also never bring up the permanent tax cut the president is advocating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/we-will-also-never-bring-up-the-permanent-tax-cut-the-president-is/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) [Explore all 34 Tom Daschle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I could leave this body with one wish, it would be that we never give up that search for common ground, .. The politics of common ground will not be found on the far right, or on the far left. That is not where most Americans live. 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