“Ready for Hillary” is a SuperPAC launched in 2013 to build support for a potential Hillary Clinton campaign for President in 2016. Aggressive fundraising outreach, including renting Clinton’s list of supporters in 2008, has allowed the PAC to raise more than $4 million last year. Its an impressive amount to support a campaign that doesn’t yet exist.
Ready for Hillary is one of two SuperPACs working on a shadow campaign for Clinton. Priorities USA, which was founded to support Barack Obama, is in the process of transforming itself into a pro-Clinton PAC. After a period of friction between the two groups, Clinton allies intervened and delineated clear roles for each.
Priorities USA is focused on very large donors, while Ready for Hillary will focus on collecting voter data and taking small contributions for activists. Around 98% of the donations to the PAC were $100 or lower.
The dust-up between the two groups does provide a cautionary tale for Clinton’s possible campaign, though. After decades on the national political stage, in a variety of roles, Clinton has enormous number of past and current advisors. There are almost no national Democrat advisors who don’t have at least some tie to Clinton’s career. To say a potential campaign would be a clash of egos is an understatement.
Clinton has said she is months away from making any decision on a run for the White House. She is unlikely to make any announcement until after the November mid-term elections. If, as is possible, there is a Republican wave this Fall, it could impact her assessment of whether a run for President would be successful.
Whatever Clinton decides, the quick growth of groups like Ready for Hillary takes a lot of oxygen away from other Democrats considering a run in 2016. The PAC is planning to hire more staff this year and increase its fundraising. Its very existence may prompt Hillary to run.
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