Yes SJ, I agree. And no, no magic bullets. All I can do is to personally take responsibility for my own actions and no longer buy into the "hooray for my side" stuff and, the "if you don't see it my way, then you must be a dumb **** and my enemy". As to what others do, I can try to influence that, but ultimately I have no control over it. 
I'm looking for politicians who have character, intelligence, honesty, principles, and see the need to work with the "other side". As to what particular political philosophy they have or what party they belong to, in my mind that's secondary to someone who puts the best interest of the country and its people before that of their own self-interest. Sometimes a more liberal approach to an issue may be the right way to go, and sometimes a more conservative approach to an issue may be the way to go. 
But yeah, the divide just seems to be getting wider and wider.