WASHINGTON (Reuters) - They bickered with each other on the campaign trail and now Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican leader John Boehner find themselves forced into an uneasy political coexistence.

The November 2 congressional elections gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives and a stronger presence in the Senate, setting the stage set for possible political compromise to address the ills of the US economy. But that is by no means certain as Obama and the Republicans remain far apart on taxes, government spending and reducing the $1.3 trillion deficit.

The bipartisan relationship got off to an uncertain start when a White House meeting scheduled for today between Obama and congressional leaders, including top House Republican Boehner, was postponed until November 30 at Republican insistence.

Once Obama and Boehner do get talking, there will be some issues where they can work together, such as trade and education, and some areas where progress will be difficult, Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf said.

"They should probably spend some time" getting to know each other and developing trust, he said.

Obama and Boehner, who yesterday was elected as speaker of the House starting in January, have little in common beyond a love of golf.

Obama came from a middle-class family and was raised by a single mother and his grandparents in Hawaii and Indonesia. He holds degrees from Ivy League schools Harvard and Columbia and taught constitutional law in Chicago before entering politics.

By contrast, Boehner grew up in small-town Ohio, one of 12 children, worked odd jobs and eventually became a small businessman.

The two did lots of rhetorical jabbing during the campaign.

"Mr. President, where are the jobs?" was Boehner's frequent volley. In return, Obama singled out Boehner for criticism on the economy, saying he was pushing "the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place."

Obama has done some soul searching after the Republican gains in November elections, an outcome that will make it more difficult for him to get his ambitious agenda approved as he looks ahead to his own re-election campaign in 2012.

University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato predicted political logjam. "They're not going to agree very often," he said.

Washington is waiting to see whether Obama and Boehner can develop the kind of working relationship that existed in the 1980s between Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, two men who came from opposite sides of the political spectrum but forged compromise on some issues.

White House officials believe if there is any opportunity for common ground it would be from the fact that both men are seen as pragmatic politicians.

What is unclear from the White House perspective is whether Boehner will be able to stand up to the no-compromise contingent of House Republicans, epitomized by the Tea Party.

Republican strategist Scott Reed said "you're going to see a very disciplined leader" in Boehner who listens to his members.

He predicted Boehner will avoid the type of mistakes made in 1995 when then-Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich provoked a government shutdown in a spending battle with Democratic President Bill Clinton.

"He learned a lot of lessons on how not to do things," Reed said.