I saw a somewhat similar dog-and-pony show when Obama was campaigning. He promised things on which he was never able to deliver because of the rabid opposition party.
Obama had the streak of bi-partisanship fetish, which consumed his initial term and parts of his second term. It also consumed a whole lot of good that could have happened if he had shown some more spine (capitulating on public option for one example amongst many), but what Bernie proposes cuts across the political spectrum and would hurt the big-wigs and business interests for both D and R parties.
In a way what Bernie proposes would bring out the hidden T-party in the Democratic party too with the same zeal, along with the actual R's T-party that is visible today - and by T-party here I mean the monied interests which are the fuel that fire the R's T-party, not the crazies at the bottom of the pole.
I love what Bernie says, and the progressive values he exudes, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how would he do it without an agreeing congress?
How would his presidency succeed if the business interests and corporate oligarchy, that rule what USA does most of the times today, are aligned against him, both inside and outside congress?
What am I missing??