Colorado GOP Strategist On Clinton: 'The Past Is Catching Up With Her'

DENVER (CBS4)- Republican strategists in Colorado say Hillary Clinton has a lot of work to do if she wants to take the Centennial State in the 2016 election.

"I think the past is catching up with her already and she hasn't even announced her candidacy yet," said Republican strategist Dick Wadhams.

Hillary Rodham Clinton will end months of speculation and launch her highly anticipated 2016 presidential campaign on Sunday, skipping a flashy kickoff rally in favor of conversations with voters about the economic needs of middle class families and the next generation.

Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state who lost the 2008 nomination to Barack Obama, will announce the first official word of her candidacy in a video posted on social media and to supporters online, according to two people familiar with her plans. If victorious in 2016, she would become the nation's first female president.

Wadhams said it's likely Clinton will try to separate herself from the Obama Administration, soften her image and work on her likability.

"She does not have that natural ability to commune and connect with people and you can't manufacture that," said Wadhams.

Colorado Democratic Party Chair Rick Palacio shrugged off the criticism.

"Republicans are going to continue to attack her, it's what they do best because they have a difficult time looking at themselves and their own records," said Palacio. "It's anyone's guess what the next year-and-a-half will look like. Here's one disappointing thing to me, it's April 2015 and the presidential election cycle has already begun."

Should she win the nomination, Clinton would face the winner of a Republican primary field that could feature as many as two dozen candidates. They could include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is expected to announce his campaign in Miami on Monday.

Republicans have been preparing for a second Clinton campaign since she left Obama's administration in early 2013. They intend to campaign against her by equating her potential presidency to that of a "third" Obama term, during which they argue she would continue his most unpopular policies.