However, most supers correctly appear to have concluded that Clinton is a much stronger general-election candidate. That's true even though Sanders tends to run a bit better than the former secretary of state in current ballot tests. But political professionals apparently believe that those results would not hold up if Republicans were to begin attacking Sanders. Like Ted Cruz on the Republican side, Sanders would find it impossible to escape a reputation for ideological extremism that he has bragged about, and that would hurt him in the general election.