HOW TO DO A MURDOCH ATTACK ON A DEMOCRAT WHEN YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

The New York Post sent Maureen Callahan to Hillary Clinton's Manhattan book signing yesterday. Callahan's piece on the event is titled "Hillary Clinton’s Book Signing Was as Insufferable as You’d Expect."

With a headline like that, I expected to read about new depths of boorishness and contempt. But Callahan's evidence for the "insufferable" charge is scant:

Among the enduring criticisms of Hillary Clinton: Her sense of entitlement is limitless. She’s tone-deaf and doesn’t understand the average American — nor does she care to. Her greed is insatiable.

Add to this a gaping lack of self-awareness, and you have all the ingredients for the New York City launch of Hillary’s nationwide book tour Tuesday morning (also primary day, not that Hillary — who maintains she’s still here only for us — cares about that either).

"Also primary day"? What does that have to do with anything? The polls here were open yesterday from 6:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. No one was prevented from voting by (voluntarily) attending this event. No voting location was commandeered for the signing. Was Clinton supposed to involve herself in the local election? This was a New York City primary. Chappaqua isn't one of the five boroughs. Bill de Blasio was on the ballot, and he's a former Clinton campaign aide who dawdled before endorsing Clinton for the 2016 nomination, but Clinton's support for de Blasio, or lack thereof, wouldn't have made much difference -- he won the primary by 60 points.

Hillary’s attendees were willing to follow any directive. There were many, and here, in part, were the written instructions:

“A limited number of wristbands for entry will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis with purchase of the featured title at Barnes & Noble Union Square. Hillary Rodham Clinton will sign copies of her new release, What Happened and the 2017 illustrated children’s edition of It Takes a Village, no exceptions or personalizing. She will sign up to two books per customer, one of which must be What Happened. No other books or memorabilia please. Posed photos or selfies will not be taking place . . . Book purchase and wristbands are both required to meet the author, no exceptions. Customers without wristbands will not be allowed to participate in any capacity.”

In other words, everyone was here to serve two purposes: To make sure “What Happened” debuts at No. 1 on the bestseller list and to line Hillary’s pockets.

I am shocked, shocked, to learn that someone would hold a book signing in order to sell more books.

As for the restrictions, I see similar ones in place for this George W. Bush book signing in February:

Would-be buyers will need a wristband to secure a place in line.... Customers may purchase up to three copies of the book. A wristband and receipt, showing proof of purchase, are required for the admittance to the book signing.

And here's a warning notice from another Bush signing:

There will NOT be an opportunity to take photographs during the signing.

Bush was a president. Hillary Clinton was a First Lady and a major-party presidential candidate. Both are under Secret Service protection. Both are likely targets of people with violent intent. There shouldn't be people swanning into their signings without scrutiny. And allowing in stray bits of memorabilia is not in the commercial interests of the bookstore or the security interests of the author (what is that thing you say you want signed?).

More:

Hillary’s advertised arrival time was 11 a.m., which came and went. Hundreds of people were penned in on a top floor, with thousands more waiting outside in 80-degree heat.

Clinton could have been more punctual. But come on -- "80-degree heat"? It was a very nice day here yesterday, if mild for September. It wasn't Riyadh in July. And "Hundreds of people were penned in on a top floor"? I know this Barnes & Noble -- it has plenty of room for "hundreds." "Penned in"? On the subway at rush hour you get "penned in."

Finally, just before noon, the crowd erupted, chanting “HILL-AR-EE! HILL-AR-EE!” as Clinton sauntered in, casually absorbing the adulation, giving the crowd her patented smile and royal wave.

Amid wild applause, Clinton made her way up to a raised platform, and then . . . she sat down and started signing. No hello to the crowd, no thanks for the hours of waiting — let alone decades of support — no apology for or acknowledgment of being an hour late, or losing the most consequential election in American history. Not a single word. She just started signing.

A few words would have been nice, but this sounds like a description of yet another George W. Bush book signing:

Lines weaved in an out through the stacks, and anyone hoping for a personal message from the Prez was out of luck. The book you spent cash-money on was not necessarily the book that you were going to leave with. Bookstore employees and Secret Service personnel kept the signing going with machine-like efficiency so that conversation with the man, who shook hands and referred to people as "Buddy," was brief.

So nothing out of the ordinary, really. Oh, except for the pizza Clinton bought for fans who waited overnight to get books signed. (Callahan didn't mention that.)

This is the Murdoch press. The mainstream press piles on Hillary, but these folks set the demonization standard, for her and every other Democrat.