Is Bernie Sanders more electable than Hillary?

So for a while I had considered Hillary Clinton to be the most electable candidate that would fare the best in a general election among the current Democratic candidates. She has the most name recognition and probably the best shot at winning over independent voters. And it seems that is probably part of the reason she is still leading her opponents in the primaries. But I have heard of some negative poll results about her favorability and trustworthiness and I've started to wonder, would Sanders actually do better than Hillary in a general election. I think he might have a harder time among independents, but it seems to me that he draws a lot of enthusiasm from the liberal base and would probably generate higher turnout among Democrats.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

No way. In terms of support, he is the Democrats' Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders is basically the modern George McGovern. He's a great way to blow a perfectly winnable election for Democrats

If Sanders can actually get a lot of younger people out to vote then it may be possible, but I doubt that will happen.

It seems to me that Sanders would alienate independents, but he might generate high turnout. Then again he might not. The issue with Hillary it seems to me is that she won't win a majority of independents and I don't see her generating much enthusiasm which could lead to lower turnout on the Democrat side (I think it's safe to say Hillary won't get the turnout Obama did in 2012 and certainly not in 2008).

She doesn't need to win a majority of independents. Romney won independents in 2012 and still suffered a crushing electoral college loss.

Honestly, I think the prospect of another Bush presidency will do a pretty good job at getting out the Democratic base.

But independents will be much more likely to stay home or vote Republican. I know I'll be staying home if Sanders is the nominee.

@Toxic-Seahorse: Yeah, it seems the young liberals are probably the group most likely to support Sanders, but I don't think he can turn them out like Obama could, but he could probably do better with the college liberals than Hillary would.

@flatulentbubble: I only drink dry water.

It is early (way too early) but those trustworthiness numbers aren't good for Clinton.

Poll: Clinton trails top Republicans in battleground states

From the story:

"Hillary Clinton trails three top Republican presidential candidates in head-to-head matchups in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia, a new survey shows.

The latest Quinnipiac University swing state polling released Wednesday shows the Democratic frontrunner trailing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in each of those states.

The biggest loser, the polls found, is Donald Trump, who has surged to the front of a crowded Republican primary field nationally but is viewed unfavorably, by almost a 2-to-1 margin, by voters in those states.

The results offered more indications that Clinton has a problem: Voters say they don't trust her.

In Colorado, only 34% of voters said they see Clinton as honest and trustworthy while 62% said they don't. In Iowa, the numbers were 33% to 59% -- a drop from 45% to 47% in April. And in Virginia, Clinton did best, at 39% saying they trust her to 55% saying they don't.

"She has lost ground in the horse race and on key questions about her honesty and leadership," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, in a release accompanying Wednesday morning's results. "On being a strong leader, a key metric in presidential campaigns, she has dropped four to 10 points depending on the state and she is barely above 50% in each of the three states."

In Colorado, Clinton trails Rubio 38%-46%, Bush 36%-41% and Walker 38%-47%. In Iowa, she trails Rubio 36%-44%, Bush 36%-42% and Walker 37%-45%. And in Virginia, Clinton has the narrowest margins between her and her Republican opponents, where she lags behind Rubio 41%-43%, Bush 39%-42% and Walker 40%-43%.

"Hillary Clinton's numbers on honesty and trust may border on abysmal but Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the GOP front runner, is still battling a name recognition handicap," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

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She just gives a bad vibe.

I certainly don't trust her, but then again I don't trust any politicians who make a fortune from private investors and companies, which is pretty much everyone that runs for president.

I like some of Sanders ideas but he won't win the presidential election, and the Republican clowns are unacceptable in the White house , so my vote will go to Hillary.

What about Ra's al Ghul, would you vote for him?

Dude's a protectionist idiot and basically a socialist version of Ron Paul, people all around the world should hope he doesn't get anywhere near the Oval Office.

He needs to be hip like Hillary to attract the young dummies. He should pretend to support feminism to attract all the SJW's.

I doubt Bernie Sanders has to pretend to be a feminist.

Bernie Sanders is not electable in the general election, many of my liberal friends favor him over Hilary but I do not think that moderates and independants re likely to vote for him and he will not get the black community out to vote for him the way Obama did.

Bernie probably has no chance of winning over moderate republicans so I think not. Don't get me wrong a lot of the stuff he stands for I approve of, but I'd rather get some measure of the ideas I want than none of it.

As someone else in a separate thread mentioned, Mitt Romney proved that you need crossover voters to win. I don't see Bernie getting crossover voters.

Sure doesn't sound like it. By the looks/sounds of the upcoming elections, out of all the possible candidates to vote for, well to me Hillary sounds like the best choice (or at least, the least terrible choice.)

sadly every election in my adult lifetime has been trying to find the least terrible person to vote for.

I personally do not like Hilary, I also do not like many(most) of the republican nominees, and none of the other democratic nominees, so for me it will come down to voting who I hate the least, rather than who I like the most, which may or may not be Hilary depending on her opponent.

To sane people.

I don't think any of the current Democratic contenders will get the black turnout that Obama did. This may cost the Democrats Virginia seeing as in the last 10 presidential elections Democrats only carried that state in 2008 and 2012, and from what I understand it was the high black turnout that made the difference in 2012 for Virginia (and in 2008 for North Carolina which Romney carried in 2012).

A few months ago I saw a different poll that had those same three states. I wonder why these particular states were chosen. I know they are swing states but aren't Ohio and Florida more important - and more swingy - than Iowa?