[solipsism]

I don't like that he is so vague about what he's going to do to fix corruption - I get it that it's about taking money out of politics, but how do you get there, especially when Congress is seized up?

If he were to be elected he would have a very strong mandate to fight for the reforms he proposes -- a strong enough mandate that Congress might be forced to adhere to it. If the people put Lessig in the Presidency it's pretty clear what the people want. A Democratic congressperson or senator who voted against such reforms would surely be risking his/her job. The same might even be said for TeaPartiers.

Regarding everything else... he claims most of it won't happen because the system is rigged. Most good causes like the ones you list could never command the singular and focused attention from the people it would take to defeat the powers that oppose them, even if the people generally would be in favor. We don't have a referendum system. That's his whole point -- to hack one in. I think it's still his point, he's just realizing that he has to play politics to do it.

[JumpCrisscross]

> If he were to be elected he would have a very strong mandate to fight for the reforms he proposes -- a strong enough mandate that Congress might be forced to adhere to it... A Democratic congressperson or senator who voted against such reforms would surely be risking his/her job.

Note peoples' diverging approval ratings between Congress as a whole and their own Congresspersons. Each Congressperson could find a local reason to nitpick over, and thus vote against, a measure they and the country broadly support.