July 22nd, 2013
06:00 AM ET
10 years ago

‘Stop Hillary’ group ramps up anti-Clinton efforts

Washington (CNN) - Hillary Clinton may or may not run for president in 2016, but the conservative effort to derail her potential candidacy is already underway.

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The organizers behind Stop Hillary PAC, a political action committee quietly incorporated in May, are stepping into public view this week as they ramp up their efforts to harangue Clinton as she mulls over her political future.

On Monday, the PAC is announcing its leadership team, steered by Ted Harvey, a conservative Colorado state senator who was a vocal opponent of the recent gun control laws passed in the state.

Also coming on board are Garrett Marquis, a media strategist and alumnus of John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign; Alex Shively, a former aide to Georgia Rep. Tom Price; Jacob Leis, a Colorado-based political strategist; and Dan Backer, a Washington attorney and lobbyist.

Those aren’t the most prominent names in Republican politics, but according to Marquis, that’s just fine. The PAC and its messaging are designed to appeal to grassroots conservatives and low dollar contributors, not traditional big donors.

Put another way, the group wants to be a boisterous party-crasher as the 2016 campaign gets underway, ginning up controversy and online contributions with barbed attacks against Clinton. To start, the PAC is releasing a video later this week “that will get a lot of attention,” Marquis promised.

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The organization’s plans to “Stop Hillary” are admittedly scattershot in these early stages of the race. Their portfolio could include “bracketing” events at Clinton appearances around the country, or local TV and radio ads, or social media efforts. If Clinton does decide to run for office, the PAC will be in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina waiting for her.

The point, Marquis said, is “to make noise” wherever Clinton goes.

“We’re supporting anything that is the opposite of Hillary,” he said. “We will play however needed, wherever Hillary is playing. If she endorses in the Virginia governor’s race, we will go there. Assuming she is active in Iowa, we will be there, too, and we will make some considerable noise.”

Clinton opponents plan donor meeting in New York

The group is separate from “Stop Hillary 2016,” a project initiated last month by America Rising, a new opposition research outfit helmed by former Mitt Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades and a pair of former Republican National Committee officials.


Filed under: 2016 • Hillary Clinton
soundoff (639 Responses)
  1. Ben Gauzzi

    The Democratic Party needs to stop putting our Nation at risk simply because they have an overwhelming desire to elect novelty candidates.

    July 22, 2013 11:16 am at 11:16 am |
  2. pprty

    Dan Backer, attorney (?) Wow, the biggies are needed to smear a woman.

    July 22, 2013 11:17 am at 11:17 am |
  3. Larry in Houston

    To be perfectly honest – we will most likely have another democrat in the W.H. come 2016 . . . but the big problem is this . . . whomever it may be, won't get much done.
    Why ? because when 2014 mid-terms rolls around, guess who will have control of BOTH houses ? IF the Senate & the House are Both Republican controlled, (with a Dem POTUS) it will be gridlock for 8 yrs. instead of the last 2.
    Why ? because the (majority) of voters who are between 18 & 40 , don't keep up with politics, and think that all they have to do, is vote for the president, and he will take care of everything. But they are sadly mistaken, when in fact, that electing congress is a big factor, in moving this country along, otherwise, gridlock will be much more entrenched.

    July 22, 2013 11:18 am at 11:18 am |
  4. db

    We do not need an ego maniac running the White House, we need true leadership and new blood in the POTUS position.

    July 22, 2013 11:19 am at 11:19 am |
  5. Jerry

    Oh well, "what does it matter (or whatever) at this time?!She's just another Obama trained liar, nothing more, nothing less!

    Wake up América! Does América need another white Obama clone?! I sure hope NOT!!!

    July 22, 2013 11:20 am at 11:20 am |
  6. Bhawk1

    Why use Christie–he cant get the nomination unless he is rehablitated by the far riight. Santorum , Paul, Cruz, the leaders. Interesting to see Cruz v Perry in debates. Cruz knows no limits on assualts against his rivals. By the time he gets to the primary he will have had to duck bullets from shots fired personally by Castro and had to live on raw fish for days in his fathers small boat as they escaped Cuba. As a child he personally fought hand to hand with Che and won.

    July 22, 2013 11:20 am at 11:20 am |
  7. dlcama

    So many for Hillary here, kind of gives me hope for America – heck if Bill could run I would vote for him too – let's get someone in there FOR the people, not for the senators/congress man themselves !!

    July 22, 2013 11:20 am at 11:20 am |
  8. jake

    "In all seriousness here, why would she even be considered for president o the United States? With all the scandals that she has attached to her and the lack of leadership she has does not qualify her as president. Lets look at the current person occupying the White House, very little leadership but was elected two times. The next elections, president, senate, and congress we as a nation need to take a serious look at who we elect, our nation is on the brink of collapse and we need strong, no holds bared leadership to bring this country back to its true glory!"

    where is your outrage against the house blocking everything that the senate and the president do? pres. obama has lead – in spite of the do-nothing congress. we are not "on the brink of collapse," and are far better off than when he took office. go back to faux news...........

    July 22, 2013 11:22 am at 11:22 am |
  9. Boo

    Just illustrates how worried the conservatives are....hahahahahahhaha....

    July 22, 2013 11:22 am at 11:22 am |
  10. Name

    Poor Republicans... They just can't figure it out...

    July 22, 2013 11:24 am at 11:24 am |
  11. pprty

    Who are these "leadership team" members to throw stones when they live in glass houses.

    July 22, 2013 11:24 am at 11:24 am |
  12. Ipe

    these people are scared already of her...haha! personally, i beleived Hillary would have been a good President than Obama, coming from a left leaning guy.

    July 22, 2013 11:26 am at 11:26 am |
  13. David

    Best way to "stop Hillary" is for the GOP to put up a better candidate. I don't see one yet.

    July 22, 2013 11:27 am at 11:27 am |
  14. Ken Smith

    Can I just say that this is a shining example of why NOTHING gets done in Washington? If one tenth the effort and money was spent on constructive collaboration as is spent on tearing each other apart this country might have half a chance of surving into the next century.

    July 22, 2013 11:27 am at 11:27 am |
  15. Kerry

    At least the group is open and honest about what their objective is. They could be like some organizations in our government that just hide under an official name and give the order for illegal activity-IRS. I don't trust the motives of some of the people in our government and that is why we need less government which is not the objective of the Democratic Party. Oh for the days of Ronald Reagan. Or even John F. Kennedy, who by the way, might be in the tea party according to his vision of government back then.

    July 22, 2013 11:28 am at 11:28 am |
  16. db

    Neither the Republicans and Democrats have nothing of substantial, qualified, and talented leadership to assume command of the White House. Congress has run this country onto the rocks and like the Costa Concordia we are floundering on our side as we slowly crumble from within. We need complete changes in leadership at all levels in Washington DC, Term Limits, and an unbiased SCOTUS. The 555 individuals who are killing us need to accept the fact they are complete failures at leadership and accept a term limits law which would make them work the job they are elected to do instead of working at getting reelected after every election. We also need leadership that will stop our overbearing strong handed medaling in other countries affairs. If we stopped pi–ing off other people maybe we would not be the target we are and the American public would not feel so threatened. Why is it that we the citizens are the foreign targets and not the people responsible for our governments leaders who caused the actions in the first place?

    July 22, 2013 11:28 am at 11:28 am |
  17. Kathleen Butler

    If Hillary was smart she'd skip this one. Her time was in 2008, which I had hoped she'd win and would have if Barak had waited his turn. His time was 2016, just too bad he didn't realize it. Of course regarless of what Democrat resides at 1600 Penssylvania, the backward Republican party-you know the one that wants to outlaw abortion while they cut headstarts and foodstamps to feed children, who never met a war they didn't like, who coddles to the tea party faithful that rails against government even as they line up for their social security checks and medicare, woudn't let them get anything done anyway.

    July 22, 2013 11:30 am at 11:30 am |
  18. Joe

    This is yet another example of how the conservative religious fundamentalists can't beat someone on their own merits, so they're going to harass them by playing childish games. Conservatives in this country have become a complete joke.

    July 22, 2013 11:31 am at 11:31 am |
  19. Louis

    So this is how the GOP expects me to vote for them, don't vote for that person because of XYZ? Very High School like if you ask me...

    July 22, 2013 11:31 am at 11:31 am |
  20. Lynda/Minnesota

    "The point, Marquis said, is “to make noise” wherever Clinton goes."

    Seems all very childish and silly ... to follow Hillary around ... just to "make noise" ... yes?

    July 22, 2013 11:33 am at 11:33 am |
  21. Sue

    Hopefully they waste all their money on that and she doesn't even run.

    July 22, 2013 11:34 am at 11:34 am |
  22. primarily anti-feminist - otherwise a social liberal & fiscal conservative

    After Hillary Clinton becomes POTUS in 2016, she will owe her victory just as much to this Stop Hillary PAC's efforts to prevent her election as she will any and all of her own campaign's efforts to support her election...smh!!! In case you can't tell from my screen name, I'm not someone who would automatically line up to vote for Hillary. If, however, there is one thing that I HATE more than feminism, it's the kind of blind ignorance that actually brags about the fact their decision making process basically just involves their opposition to anything a specific individual supports. Isn't that the same strategy the entire GOP used against Obama in 2012? Good job GOP, you may just end up providing me with the motivation to do something I never thought I would ever be capable of doing (i.e. voting for a female POTUS candidate)...lol! I shouldn't laugh, you people's stupidity really isn't funny =(

    July 22, 2013 11:34 am at 11:34 am |
  23. Rudy NYC

    The funniest part, or is it the weirdest part, about all of this is that Mitt Romney has taken up cause in one of the anti-Hillary groups.

    July 22, 2013 11:35 am at 11:35 am |
  24. Jeff Cohee

    Boy, the right wing radicals of the Republican party are really afraid of Hillary Clinton. That's hilarious. Makes them look like a bunch of Chicken Littles shaking in their boots.

    July 22, 2013 11:35 am at 11:35 am |
  25. GBfromOhio

    "We’re supporting anything that is the opposite of Hillary". That sums up the Republican Party, they cannot come up with any positive ideas, smear campaigns and lies are all they can do at this point. They are anti-women, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-science, anti-voting, anti-gun safety ... good luck with that platform in the years to come.

    July 22, 2013 11:36 am at 11:36 am |
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