Can python actually replace bash ?

I've read this before - I'm not too sure how serious people are when they say it or whether they're just implying that Python is a nice language for system tasks (and for most perhaps nicer to work in than bash).

I'm just curious really, whether anyone here could operate with just Python rather than Bash, and whether that would be like working with ones hand tied behind ones back.

Note, when I say bash I might be a bit blurred - I'm also referring to GNU tools I guess, Sed, Awk and others. I hope the post still makes sense.