Ready for Hillary

Ready for Hillary
Name	Ready for Hillary
Formation	2013
Headquarters	New York City, New York
Type	Political action committee; grassroots organization
Purpose	Support for Hillary Clinton potential 2016 presidential campaign
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Guthrie McClintic

Ready for Hillary was an American political action committee and grassroots fundraising organization formed in 2013 to promote the potential 2016 presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton. It sought to build volunteer infrastructure, donor lists, and public enthusiasm through online outreach, events, and data collection. The group operated alongside established Democratic Party institutions and high-profile advocacy networks to shape early perceptions of Clinton's electability.

Background and formation

Ready for Hillary was established in the context of the lead-up to the 2016 United States presidential election, during a period that included activity by groups surrounding Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and other potential Democratic contenders. Its formation followed the precedent of proto-campaign organizations such as the draft movements for Warren G. Harding, Theodore Roosevelt, or more recent efforts like Draft Mike Huckabee and Draft Ron Paul. The organization emerged amid debates involving the Democratic National Committee, progressive advocacy organizations including MoveOn.org, established political action committees such as Priorities USA Action, and fundraising trends shaped by Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decisions. Ready for Hillary sought to capitalize on digital organizing tactics used in the 2008 United States presidential election and the 2012 United States presidential election.

Organization and leadership

The group registered as a political action committee and staffed a roster of organizers and consultants with ties to prominent political operatives associated with Hillary Clinton’s earlier campaigns and to allied institutions like The Clinton Foundation. Key personnel included executive leadership such as Guthrie McClintic and advisers drawn from networks connected to John Podesta, David Brock, and other figures who had worked on Democratic presidential efforts. Ready for Hillary cooperated with major fundraising platforms and consulting firms that had ties to organizations like ActBlue, lobbying firms formerly engaged with Goldman Sachs associates, and digital consultants who had participated in the online mobilization strategies of Howard Dean and Barack Obama. The PAC’s board and advisory circle featured donors and activists with relationships to DNC Chair leadership, state party committees in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and national political strategists.

Activities and campaigns

Ready for Hillary conducted online and field campaigns that included email lists, social media outreach, volunteer sign-ups, and merchandise sales. It organized volunteer recruitment events in early nominating states such as Iowa Caucuses, New Hampshire primary, and South Carolina primary kickoff activities, while coordinating with state-level Democratic organizations and grassroots groups including Indivisible (organization) members and local chapters associated with Emily's List and MoveOn.org Political Action. The PAC ran advertising and rapid-response communications that engaged with media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and broadcast partners; it also used data analytics approaches practiced by firms that had worked on 2008 Obama campaign and 2012 Romney campaign efforts. Ready for Hillary produced polling outreach, donor cultivation, and event coordination that mirrored early-stage activities undertaken by groups supporting Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Jeb Bush in the Republican field.

Funding and endorsements

Funding for Ready for Hillary derived from small-dollar donors, large individual contributors, and fundraising events that evoked the donor networks of prominent Democratic figures such as George Soros-aligned philanthropies and business leaders who previously backed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in earlier races. The PAC reported contributions from individuals connected to finance, technology, and media sectors that had prior links to institutions like Goldman Sachs, Google, and The New York Times Company. Endorsements and visible support came from influential Democratic Party leaders, fundraising co-chairs, and allied organizations; sympathetic public commentary and event appearances involved figures from the Clinton orbit, allies who had worked on the Clinton 2008 presidential campaign and Clinton Foundation initiatives, and progressive activists who later endorsed Clinton in the 2016 primaries, including some aligned with Emily's List and EMILY's List-supported candidates.

Controversies and criticism

Ready for Hillary attracted criticism over questions of coordination with an eventual formal campaign, data privacy practices related to its online lists, and the influence of large donors following the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. Critics from progressive circles compared its approach to establishment-oriented organizations tied to Hillary Clinton and raised concerns similar to those leveled against organizations associated with Super PACs and shadow groups active in the 2016 cycle, invoking names like Correct the Record and Priorities USA Action. Some commentators in outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post disputed the propriety of donor bundling and early fundraising tactics; civil liberties advocates referenced principles advanced by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union when interrogating data collection and privacy standards.

Impact and legacy

Ready for Hillary contributed to early infrastructure and list-building that supported the 2016 presidential bid pursued by Hillary Clinton, interfacing with the broader ecosystem of Democratic donors, mobilization networks, and digital organizing practices that had been refined since the 2008 presidential election. Its activities influenced how proto-campaign organizations and draft movements operate in subsequent cycles, informing strategies used by supporters of candidates like Joe Biden in 2020 and other pre-candidacy fundraising initiatives. The organization’s role is discussed in analyses of the 2016 campaign alongside the influence of Super PACs, the effects of digital data on voter outreach as seen in the 2016 United States presidential election, and the continuing debates over campaign finance reform and grassroots versus establishment dynamics within Democratic Party politics.

Category:Political action committees in the United States Category:2013 establishments in the United States