Sure, but I wasn't even talking about their chances of being elected.
My question is: realistically, what kind of impact would you expect them to have on the system if they were in government? As I see it, they would be great people to have in those positions, and we would probably see some real progress start to take place; but they would still only be a few good people in a largely corrupt system, they would only be able to do so much by themselves and there is only so much power they would have vested in them. Further, as soon as their measures started threatening those with real power, you would see an onslaught of propaganda and sabotage aimed at their every move.
Your points are good ones.
I would say that the executive branch really does have extra-ordinary power, and especially if they have a will to use it (as did Dick Cheney when he became prez.) They can clean (or re-arrange) house rapidly in the upper echelons where it really matters.
I would also say that we've really not had anyone in the executive branch who had the disposition to make much of a change in the direction opposite fascism for at least 50 years now, or at least one with the combination of will and spine. If that occurred I think the results might be more surprising than a lot of us disenchanted observers might imagine.
I would also say that it is probably becoming more difficult rather then less to use unsavory means (e.g., assassinations) to achieve a result. This both because technology marches forward and relatedly, because the public is becoming more suspicious (I think that is the case at least but it could be my own projection.) Increasingly the most realistic way of implementing an actual assassination which would be effective would be to do it in a very prophylactic manner. That is, one would have to accurately predict a threat a fair distance into the future and nip a problem in the bud. It is an unusually brazen or very desperate man who could do Wellstone in that manner. I think that Cheney was the former (and in an odd way I have a lot of respect for him for this and the aformentioned reason.)