Bookstore That Sold Out of 'Fire and Fury' Only Sells 15 Copies of Comey's Book
Maybe he should have written it with Stormy Daniels.
Fresh off the news that former FBI Director James Comey’s interview Sunday with Democrat activist George Stephanopoulos had drawn less than half the television audience that tuned in for the porn star the week before, Comey’s overhyped book finally hit the shelves Tuesday.
And seems to be getting about the same public “meh.”
Maybe it was the tidal wave of bad publicity generated by “A Higher Loyalty.”
Besides being bashed in advance by President Donald Trump, based on strategically released excerpts, the book was criticized by current FBI employees who worried the book might hurt the bureau’s reputation even more.
Or maybe it was just that the 6-foot-8 Comey’s penchant for talking down to his listeners — or his readers — was starting to catch up to him.
Whatever it was, actual purchasers for the book were tough to find during a reporter’s visit to a D.C. bookstore on the eve of Comey’s book release.
It wasn’t exactly “Fire and Fury.”
Alice Lloyd, a staff writer for The Weekly Standard, paid a visit to Kramerbooks in D.C.’s DuPont Circle, which sounds like the kind of place Washingtonians would gather to show each other how plugged-in and cool they are.
When keyhole-sniffing author Michael Wolff’’s “Inside the Trump White House” book went on sale in January, for instance, the store sold out of its 75 copies of the book in 15 minutes, Lloyd reported.
The line for Comey’s book at midnight? A total of four customers — each one probably feeling more foolish than the next one for being out at that hour for something that clearly no one else was interested in.
This tweet sums it up pretty well:
And the actual sales? A Kramer employee told Lloyd the store had sold 12 to 15 by 12:30 a.m. — a half hour after the sales started and a half hour before the store’s normal closing time. And most of those were likely sold to the reporters and cameramen who outnumbered patrons.
The reasons for the lackluster reaction could range from an unexpected popularity for President Trump (unlikely in D.C.) to fatigue with the topic (possible but not probably) or dislike for Comey in general. Considering the man infuriated conservatives and Republicans with his ludicrous exoneration of Hillary Clinton in July 2016, then infuriated Clinton supporters in October only days before the election, that’s very possible indeed.
Lloyd speculates it’s the book itself:
“Whereas Wolff’s book was steamy, Comey’s book is preachy. It’s a self-righteous breakfast of oat bran, compared to a sugary cupcake you’ll regret later. Comey makes clear his disapproval of precisely what made Wolff’s book seem worth standing in line for, writing on Page One: ‘We are experiencing a dangerous time in our country, with a political environment where basic facts are disputed, fundamental truth is questioned, lying is normalized, and unethical behavior is ignored, excused or rewarded.'”
Whatever porn star Stormy Daniels faults — and they are no doubt legion — it’s a fair bet she could write until doomsday and never come out with a sentence as sanctimonious as Comey’s.
Then again, a roomful of monkeys with typewriters probably couldn’t either.
Maybe she can team up with Comey for the sequel.
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