Partisan contrasts and a “warm purple space.” During the March controversy surrounding Clinton’s use of a private email account and a private server, her Twitter account suddenly roared to life.

In 140 characters or less, Clinton blasted GOP lawmakers for signing a letter she said undermined negotiations with Iran to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Clinton vilified the majority party in Congress for blocking the nomination of the first female African-American nominee to be attorney general, and for complicating a bipartisan human trafficking bill with a GOP-inspired anti-abortion amendment. Most notably, on the five-year anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Clinton denounced Republicans for seeking to repeal legislation she said benefited women and young people. And when Indiana and Arkansas — the state her husband governed for 12 years — embraced religious-freedom legislation, Clinton echoed the national outcry that the laws condoned discrimination.

The tweets were an attempt to create a sharp contrast with Republicans, and to tie GOP presidential rivals to dismal approval ratings for the Republican-controlled House and Senate. Without having to finesse serious primary competition, Clinton took long aim when firing her Twitter shots.  

But beyond those tweets, Clinton claimed to be an aisle-crossing, bipartisan-loving, post-partisan leader. Her supporters believe she’ll tout her U.S. Senate career to demonstrate the accomplishments that are her own — separate from her husband’s and from Obama’s. The downside is that her Senate career invokes an “insider” label that voters shun.