Think Tank: Bernie's all talk; it's Hillary who can deliver

By Samantha Paige Rosen

'All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia," George Orwell declared in his 1946 essay "Politics and the English Language."

Concerned about the social implications of speech that isn't rooted in the concrete, Orwell laid out six rules to ensure that politicians and writers are as transparent in their language as possible. Avoiding clichés that obscure the real meaning of words and being precise ensure that language doesn't "corrupt thought." In other words, say exactly what you mean in a way that makes the meaning of your words as clear as possible to your audience.

On the surface, it sounds like Bernie Sanders is Orwell's ideal candidate. He speaks in plain English, making his frustration with our capitalist society apparent every time he talks or gestures. Hillary Clinton, often accused of being a lying member of the "establishment," must be hiding something, right?

Absolutely wrong.

Sanders' proposals sound like a dream come true. But that's the problem. In debates and speeches, he focuses on what he would do, rather than how he would do it. By saying everything that debt-ridden millennials want to hear, myself included - Free health care! Free college! Revolution for the masses! - Sanders is covering up the fact that he can't realistically accomplish these things. No single president could.

It's Clinton who is the more transparent candidate. She backs up her rhetoric with detailed plans that could actually work. Her website explains how she intends to make health-care premiums more affordable, lower out-of-pocket expenses for people on the Obamacare exchanges, create incentives for states to expand Medicaid, and work with governors to help states establish a public option choice. Clinton knows the realistic steps it takes to execute her goals, while Sanders fails to address the astronomical challenges of overhauling our economic and health-care systems.

Young people are inspired by Sanders, and rightly so. They're riding the wave of his "political revolution." But I urge my fellow twenty-somethings to please think of the specifics behind Sanders' proposals. The question isn't, "Which Democratic candidate is more progressive?" It's "Which candidate can make progress in turning liberal ideas into realistic legislation?"

Sanders' objectives are impossible to achieve in one or two terms and even more so without the support of Congress. He enjoys pitting himself against the legislative branch, as if to say Hillary is too chummy with members of Congress, but he's a man of the people. But how will Sanders gain enough support to pass any of his immense reforms.

As we have painfully seen throughout President Obama's second term, Congress' natural state is gridlock. Don't we want a president who has lasting relationships of mutual respect with our senators and representatives so that the most positive change can be achieved?

My fear about this election isn't that Donald Trump will become president. Even if he becomes the Republican nominee, I don't believe he can win the general election. My fear is what won't happen if Sanders becomes president.

Instead of working to build relationships in Congress, practicing compromise at home and abroad, and settling for solid, incremental progress, Sanders will charge forward with his revolution and, over four or eight years in office, achieve nothing of substance. Democrats will be seen as ineffective and Republicans will cruise (and possibly Cruz, as in Ted) into the White House, taking away the hard-won advances Obama has made over the past eight years, especially for minorities.

I don't want a president who simply tells me what I want to hear.

I want a president who understands that our problems are complicated and can't be solved all at once.

I want a president who can make the necessary compromises if the alternative is achieving nothing at all.

Sanders can't do any that. He doesn't know how to do that. He doesn't know how to turn his rhetoric into reality.

Samantha Paige Rosen is a Philadelphia-born writer and contributor to the Huffington Post and the Week. samantha@spr-writingresearch.com