CHICAGO—While serving as a fellow for the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics this month, I had an opportunity to sit down with former White House senior adviser David Axelrod to discuss the current state of American politics.

I begin by asking him what he believes is the biggest misconception conservatives have about both President Obama—and him. We also talk about the shrinking number of battleground states and the negative impact of an electorate sharply divided in to red and blue.

What happened to the era of bipartisanship President Obama said early on he wanted to create in Washington? And who is most to blame for the fact it never materialized? Axelrod answers those questions as we talked in his Chicago office.

>>> Coming Wednesday: How Axelrod Views the 2016 Campaign