Washington ( CNN ) -- President Barack Obama gently sparred with Jon Stewart on `` The Daily Show '' in the final run-up to next week 's midterm elections , after the comedian called his legislative progress `` timid . '' Playing off the title of Obama 's book `` The Audacity of Hope , '' Stewart challenged the forcefulness of the president 's political agenda during his first two years in office . `` Is the difficulty that you have here the distance between what you ran on and what you delivered ? '' Stewart said . `` You ran with such , if I may , audacity ... yet legislatively it has felt timid at times . '' `` Jon , I love your show , but this is something where I have a profound disagreement with you ... '' Obama said , leaning forward and intently tapping his finger on the desk , `` this notion that health care was timid . '' `` This is what most people would say is as significant a piece of legislation as we have seen in this country 's history , '' the president continued , saying the Affordable Care Act will provide health coverage for 30 million people , introduces a Patient 's Bill of Rights and will cut the deficit by over a trillion dollars . `` What happens is , it gets discounted because the presumption is we did n't get 100 percent of what we wanted , we only get 90 percent of what we wanted -- so let 's focus on the 10 percent we did n't get as opposed to the 90 percent we did , '' Obama said . The 30-minute program taped at Washington 's Harman Center for the Arts took place before a packed house , with some waiting in line for up to four hours to attend . `` The Daily Show '' is in Washington all week ahead of Stewart 's planned `` Rally to Restore Sanity '' on the National Mall on Saturday . `` You ran on the idea that this system needed basic reform ... feels like some reform was done in a political manner that has papered over a system that is corrupt , '' Stewart said , again challenging the pace and extent of change initiated by the Obama administration . `` Over the last two years , in emergency situations , our basic attitude was we have to get things done , in some cases quicker , '' the president said , acknowledging the global economic crisis that was swirling at the time he took office . `` [ Democratic leaders ] worked within the process instead of transforming the process . '' During a lighter moment , Stewart presented Obama with Mug Force One -- a presidential coffee cup . The men traded quips over `` The Daily Show '' stage , which resembled a Grecian temple . `` This is a nice set , '' Obama said . `` It reminds me of the convention . '' `` We actually bought it , it was in a warehouse , '' Stewart retorted . The president 's theme of change from the 2008 race resurfaced during the show , along with a popular campaign slogan . `` When we promised during campaign 'change you can believe in , ' it was n't 'change you can believe in ' in 18 months , '' Obama said to applause from the audience . `` We 're going to have to work for it . '' Noting the tough election climate , the president said he hopes Democratic members of Congress are rewarded on election day for the tough votes they took on health care and financial regulatory reform . Near the end of the interview , Obama invoked his famous campaign phrase , `` Yes we can , but it 's not going to happen overnight , '' prompting a laugh from Stewart . CNN 's Ed Payne and Padma Rama contributed to this report .
President Obama appears on the show . Jon Stewart questions Obama on his successes compared to his campaign rhetoric . `` The Daily Show '' is taping in Washington this week .