Why highlight this? Because it's one of those unofficial "polls" that mean just as much as the "official" ones.
If book sales were votes, we'd be getting ready for President Ron DeSantis.
Obviously, book sales are not an iron-clad harbinger of future votes (polls aren't either). Look at Hillary Clinton; she sold 86,000 copies of her book in its first week back in 2014, but that only helped her lose to Donald Trump in the 2016 election. The polls are had her blowing him out too, I don't have to remind you, I'm sure.
I do think, however, that these numbers mean a lot going into the Republican primary next year.
The Republican's book, "The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Survival," sold 94,300 copies in its first week, according to BookScan, a U.S. print book data service. It was the top-selling book for the week it came out, BookScan found. The memoir was released on Feb. 28.
That figure trumps the first-week sales of other major politicians' memoirs — including a 2015 effort by former President Donald Trump, who is currently seen as a leading candidate in the prospective 2024 Republican primary field.
That book, "Crippled America," sold 27,687 copies in its first week, according to BookScan.
I'm sure President Trump believes his book to be one of the best books ever written, and I'll admit, Trump is certainly the frontrunner in the Republican Party – but it seems that many people are much more interested in the younger rising star which is Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis' conservative culture warfare on issues ranging from Covid-19 safety measures to classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues has made him a top figure in the GOP. The Florida governor is in the midst of a book tour that on Friday took him to Iowa, the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state.
DeSantis' book sales also appeared to far outpace recently published memoirs by a handful of other Republicans who have either launched 2024 presidential campaigns or are considering it, according to BookScan.
Former Vice President Mike Pence's "So Help Me God," released last November, sold 37,600 print copies in the first week, while "Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love" by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sold 34,600…
Meanwhile, BookScan said former President Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope," which preceded his history-making 2008 White House run, sold 67,500 print copies in its first week.
The 2024 primaries are gonna be lit. 🔥
