Jenn Abelson, The Boston Globe, December 12, 2007
The titles are grim: ‘‘His Days Are Numbered,’’ ‘‘The End is Near,’’ and ‘‘The Official Countdown.’’
But these are not your ordinary apocalyptic tales lining the shelves at area bookstores. Instead, they are calendars, many, many calendars, counting down the days until the end of the Bush administration.
As President George W. Bush enters his final year with some of the lowest approval ratings in his two terms in office, publishers are seizing on a disgruntled America and hoping to cash in this holiday season with a bounty of Bush-bashing calendars and handbooks. The countdown products feature celebratory exclamations like ‘‘Yes, the End is Near!’’ or ‘‘Hang in there! It’s almost over!’’ along with unflattering pictures of Bush and quotes from the president.
In Downtown Crossing, the items are so popular that Borders bookstore has dedicated coveted aisle space to them, with a ‘‘Countdown to Victory’’ sign hanging over products including ‘‘Bye Bye Bush’’ and ‘‘The Bad President,’’ along with four exclusive ‘‘Countdown to Victory’’calendars for presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Barack Obama.
Sales of the Bush calendars are up 30 percent over last year, according to Ann Binkley, a Borders Group spokeswoman.