Republican victories nationwide in this Tuesday's midterm elections gave the GOP's possible presidential hopefuls a surge of momentum Tuesday night as they enter a period of serious consideration of their own White House bids. Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who plans to huddle with close aides in Washington, D.C. next week to discuss his political future, seized the moment first by claiming the election result were not just a repudiation of President Barack Obama, but to Hillary Clinton — the likely Democratic presidential nominee -- as well. "Hillary Clinton was very active in Kentucky," Paul told CNN's Brianna Keilar at an event for Sen. Mitch McConnell, referring to Clinton's multiple stops in the Bluegrass State for Democratic challenger, Alison Lundergan Grimes.
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Sen. Rand Paul made part of his speech Tuesday about Hillary Clinton
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He's just one of several GOP 2016 hopefuls to weigh in on the midterms
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Chris Christie stumped for governor candidates across the country
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Rand Paul
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Rand Paul
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(Clinton, for example, spoke at 45 events for @placeholder, and Christie visited 15 states for Republicans in just the past five days.
White House
While those trips could be portrayed before the elections as merely providing a helping hand for a tough mid-term battle, they set the foundation for the next two years and the race for the @placeholder.