> Campaign promises are more difficult to implement than candidates imagine.

Oh, the candidates know it damn well. But they know the electorate doesn't know it. So they lie their asses off because it's how you win when all the other candidates are lying their asses off.

Bernie supporters actually believed he could usher in universal healthcare, free college, etc. Trump supporters think he's going to build a giant wall. Johnson supporters think they're going to get legalized weed in the entire US. As if the presidency was a monarchy and the legislative and judicial branches didn't exist. (Clinton supporters ... well they're just terrified of Trump winning.)

We don't have the candidates we need, but we sure have the candidates we deserve.

So, just to be clear, your cynicism in no way represents some universal truth. And having your candidate in the White House has real value otherwise people wouldn't spend $1B+ to get there. The fact is, had Bernie won, it would have meant significant progress for the issues his supporters care about. I really don't understand your comment. No one expects it to be easy. Every change has only come in increments. Your derision for people engaged in the political process is wholly unjustified and reflects poorly on your thought process.

I'm definitely a cynic, but that post was based entirely in fact.

A presidential appointment is very important. They nominate Supreme Court justices (although the new rule for the senate is apparently refusing to vote on/approve of nominees if the president doesn't belong to your party.) They have veto power over laws, and can force a supermajority. They do have some level of control over military actions (not enough to unilaterally start World War 3, but still.)

But they do not have absolute control. If Bernie wants universal healthcare, he'd have to get congress to pass it. The same congress that barely passed the insurance industry's dream legislation created by the Republican party in the first place. You think that congress is going to pass single payer? Or free college education? Keep dreaming. Sure, if we elected 60 senators like Bernie Sanders, we might be able to do something amazing. But Bernie alone? Not enough. Obama couldn't even shut down Guantanamo Bay.

Don't get me wrong, I'd have been elated for Bernie to have won the election. It was obvious in 2008 with Obama's reversal on marriage equality that he was just another career politician. Clinton is far worse than even Obama. Bernie was the first candidate I actually believed meant what he was saying. He had an entire lifetime of advocating for the change he spoke of. But you're hopelessly naive if you think he could have actually brought about the things he wanted.