“Michelle Obama’s and Ann Romney’s speeches were excellent examples of true middle ground,” says Rakesh Malhotra, author of “Adventures of Tornado Kid, Whirling Back Home Towards Timeless Values”.

After decades of working in several countries, recruiting, hiring, training and retaining employees – the same core values that make for a successful business are those that create a thriving society, he says.

He calls them the five Global Values: Responsibility, Compassion, Integrity, Peace and Love.

“Despite the outliers from each party, Democrats and Republicans share the same DNA in terms of values, and we should better appreciate our similarities,” Malhotra says.