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Republican Senator Rand Paul yesterday tied Hillary Clinton to Democratic losses in the midterm elections, tweeting with the hashtag HILLARYSLOSERS as an opening shot in the 2016 presidential contest.

The Republican National Committee and the Republican super-political action committee America Rising echoed the Kentucky senators line of attack, which centered on blaming Clinton for the defeat of Democratic senators for whom she campaigned. The message: Voters rejected Clinton.

The sharpened focus on Clinton raises the question of whether her stock went up or down after the Nov. 4 elections. And its a sign that Republicans want to draw her out so they can test her reflexes at a time when Democrats are divided over whether she should jump into the race now or wait until next year.

Early shots across the bow test whether she really has improved as a candidate, Republican strategist Mary Matalin said. They also allow Republicans to assess her response mechanism if she responds, see what role former President Bill Clinton takes on in defending her, invigorate potential primary challengers and tie her to President Barack Obama, for whom distancing herself for a 2016 run is mandatory, Matalin said.

Nick Merrill, a Clinton spokesman, declined to comment.

Clinton appeared on behalf of five losing Democratic Senate candidates, in Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia and Iowa, and at least three victors, in New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota. Several Democratic operatives said Clintons stops for Democratic candidates in the final weeks of the campaign showcased her loyalty and will help her unify the party behind her for 2016.

Hillary Clinton worked for Democrats across the country because she believes in an allinclusive Democratic Party, said Adrienne Elrod, communications director for the pro-Clinton super-PAC Correct the Record. Hillary Clintons commitment to support, strengthen and grow our Democratic Party was clear as she made 45 midterm-related political stops where she stood with Democrats and shared her vision of what our nation needs for the future.

Democrats lost at least seven seats in the midterm elections, including contested races in the presidential battlegrounds of Iowa and Colorado.

Clinton should draw two main conclusions from the results, according to a Democratic strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering the former secretary of state at a time when she is laying low.

First, this strategist said, Democrats were defending tough turf that they might not need to win the 2016 election. Outside of Iowa and Colorado, Democratic Senate candidates lost in Republican-heavy states, places like South Dakota and Montana that Clinton wouldnt need to win the White House.

Link:
Republicans Tie Hillary Clinton to Democratic Losses