The 800 pound Gorilla in the room
In poll after poll, Hillary Clinton ranks second to lowest in likability (more formally known as the favorable rating) of all candidates of either party. Only Trump ranks lower in this measure while Sanders ranks highest of any candidate of either party. Historically it is rare to win the general election with such low likability numbers. At the end of the day people vote for who they like and trust as a person, it's human nature.
Even President Obama acknowledged the problem when he politely said
"You are likable enough, Hillary." Nice backhanded compliment there. In contrast Sanders enjoys a considerable advantage, being the only candidate of either party with a net positive rating. In short, Hillary Clinton is not electable. And the media are full of it when they keep harping on how Sanders is supposedly unelectable when in truth the numbers reveal he is the most electable candidate.
If she wins the nomination Hillary better hope Trump is her opponent in the GE since he's the only candidate that polls lower than her on this important measure, but his nomination is looking to be highly unlikely.
Facing unfavorable ratings, Clinton shares personal details to be more relatable
Los Angeles Times
...It's often said that elections can boil down to a contest of who would a voter rather have a beer with — a cliche centered on the importance that campaigns and political press ascribe to a candidate's approval ratings. And a string of recent polls has shown that Clinton's standing among the public has tumbled since she reentered the political arena.
Gallup published data Friday showing that more voters viewed her unfavorably than favorably for the first time since 2008. Her 43% favorable rating was down from a peak of 66% in 2012 when she still served as secretary of State. Quinnipiac polling from key swing states released earlier in the week found her standing was even worse in key potential general election battleground states, including Iowa.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-clinton-likability-20150727-story.html#page=1
Huffpost Pollster Candidate Favorable Ratings
Hillary Clinton (-8)
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/hillary-clinton-favorable-rating
Bernie Sanders (+11)
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/bernie-sanders-favorable-rating
Ted Cruz (-5)
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/ted-cruz-favorable-rating
Marco Rubio (-6.7)
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/marco-rubio-favorable-rating
Donald Trump (-15)
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/donald-trump-favorable-rating
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