GOP unleashes anti-Clinton offensive

In the lead-up to to Hillary Clinton'slong-awaited announcement that she is running for president, potential Republican rivals for the presidency and GOP party leaders have had plenty of time to formulate an opposition strategy that has quickly coalesced around a single meme: "Stop Hillary". Its main components?

Attack Mrs Clinton's record as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, and in particular her response to a deadly 2012 attack on a US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Remind Americans of the myriad scandals that occurred during her husband Bill Clinton's presidency, as well as more recent fracas such as her use of a personal email account during her time at the state department and whether the Clinton family foundation may have accepted questionable donations from foreign governments.

Brand Mrs Clinton's social and economic agenda as "liberal" and "dangerous" and link it closely with Mr Obama's policies, many of which remain divisive among voters.

With Mrs Clinton the favourite to win the Democratic nomination, Republicans are expected to put virtually all their energy behind attacking her candidacy. After her more than two decades in the public eye, the Grand Old Party believes there is plenty of material to draw on.

"We are prepared to use every resource to stop Hillary," said Reince Preibus, chairman of the Republican National Committee. "We have a deep reservoir of research from her entire time in public life, documenting every failed policy and political scandal. Our communications team is ready to make the case against Hillary in every community and every state."

The RNC has begun rolling out its strategy, including a paid online advertisment targeting voters in six states that are expected to be key battlegrounds in the 2016 race.

The GOP's crowded field of declared and potential candidates have also been quick to fire their own shots.

From Our American Revival, the political action committee for Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin who is close to formalising his campaign: "Her record as secretary of state proved that Hillary Clinton's policy agenda for America was and still is an unmitigated disaster . "From the failed Russian reset, to a nearly nuclear armed Iran and our relations with Israel deteriorating to historic levels, Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state resulted in an America that is less safe and less trusted abroad. To top all of that off, she presided over numerous scandals, hid her emails, and has been less than forthright with the American people."

Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor emerging as an early favourite for the Republican nomination, said: "It's critical we change the direction our country is heading. We must do better than the Obama-Clinton foreign policy that has damaged relationships with our allies and emboldened our enemies - better than their failed big government policies that grow our debt and stand in the way of real economic growth and prosperity."

Ted Cruz, the senator from Texas who launched his campaign last week: "Hillary Clinton represents the failed policies of the past and there's going to be a very clear choice to make in 2016. Does America want a third Obama term or are we ready for strong conservative leadership to make America great again? Her announcement raises a critical question: Is the world a safer place because Hillary Clinton was secretary of state? The answer is obvious. No. The Obama-Clinton national security policies have made the world more dangerous for America and for our allies."

Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator who jumped into the race last week, released a minute-long online attack advert under his "Liberty, Not Hillary" slogan: "Hillary Clinton represents the worst of the Washington machine," it intones. "The arrogance of power, corruption and cover-up, conflicts of interest, and failed leadership with tragic consequences."

With Mrs Clinton already on a road trip to Iowa as she prepares to kick off her campaign with a series of low-key meetings with voters, one thing is already clear - it is going to be a bumpy ride.

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