James Comey, Political Football

Democrats last week: FBI Director Comey's last minute reopening of the email case cost Hillary the presidency.  Very bad!

Democrats today: FBI Director Comey should not have been fired.  Important investigations will be derailed.  Saturday Night Massacre!

Hmm.

Politically, Comey is a win-win for Democrats.  If he stayed on, he was a handy punching bag for Hillary's loss, a role he still retains but it is now secondary.  With Comey fired, he now becomes a symbol of the Russia Collusion investigation and Trump's effort to quash it.  By contrast, it was lose-lose for Trump but he has decided that getting rid of Comey - a director who enjoys strong bipartisan disapproval - was the lesser of two bad options.

 

Comey's public approval rating was miserable and is unlikely to draw much sympathy.  Up until yesterday, he was widely hated by Democrats for costing Hillary the election and it is hard for the rank and file to turn on a dime.  It is easier for the elites to see the political benefits of being pro-Comey rather than anti-Comey.  As Trump has shown, consistency isn't required for success.