CHICAGO -- At times, the Book Expo America convention of booksellers and publishers looked more like the Democratic National Convention than a trade show.

Former President Bill Clinton opened the show with a keynote address that brought cheers and a standing ovation from the audience; some attendees waited in line for hours to make sure they got a chance to see him.

One of those was David Garbacz, a bookseller at Gateway Books in Santa Cruz, Calif. "It was cogent, learned, humble, inspiring, nonpartisan," he said. "I'd nominate him for sainthood after hearing that."

Clinton's soon-to-be-published autobiography, My Life, is just the most visible -- and probably the most profitable -- book in a slew of political titles that reflect the turmoil of war and an election year already burning with bad feelings.

Garbacz's response to Clinton seemed typical among the book people assembled at the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago. Some sported T-shirts declaring they wanted Jon Stewart for president. Fans of Stewart, whose "Daily Show" on the Comedy Central cable network routinely skewers the current president, rivaled those of Clinton in numbers and enthusiasm.

Stewart's book, (America: The Book) which doesn't even come out until September, got even more attention than Clinton's. His publisher, Warner, hosted a swanky party at the House of Blues, where Stewart chatted with industry insiders and members of the press while signing autographs.

Other political titles this year include The Politics of Truth, about former ambassador Joseph Wilson's CIA operative wife's cover being blown after he refuted claims that the Iraqis were buying uranium from Africa; and American Soldier, a memoir by Tommy Franks, former commander of the military's Central Command.

Even speakers who have nothing obvious to do with politics poked fun at President Bush, including self-help guru Deepak Chopra and mystery author Alexander McCall Smith.

People who go every year say they can't remember the convention ever being this politically charged. "Normally you see some references, but these are so overt," said bookseller Pamela Wylie.

The Patriot Act, or at least some of its provisions, is a foremost issue goading the typically quiet booksellers and librarians to protest the current administration. Hundreds of librarians even signed a petition against that clause in the act and presented it, during the convention, to Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin.

One provision of the Patriot Act says the government has the right to ask bookstores and libraries for information on what certain patrons have been reading. Most feel the act would force them to invade their customers' privacy, and all say it's unclear what they are supposed to do under certain circumstances. Because of the uncertainty, "We've been fighting this tooth and nail," said Susan Woodcock, a librarian from northern Virginia.

Betsy Burton, owner of The King's English in Salt Lake City and a longtime Book Expo attendee, said last year was also political -- Al Franken, Bill O'Reilly and Michael Moore were among the inflammatory speakers -- but this year, there was more concern than ever about the Patriot Act, and more impetus to do something about it.

"Everyone there was so upset about Section 215 of the Patriot Act that we are willing to do anything to overthrow it," Burton said. If the government requests information about someone's reading habits, "legally you can't talk to anybody. You have to do what they want . . . Judges have to say yes, I have to say yes. They get the records. I can't tell the customer. This is so not OK, so not America."

She says the bookstore, known for its literary selection, usually steers clear of getting into politics. But this year, political books are "runaway bestsellers," Burton said. The bookstore hosted a political event this weekend in association with MoveOn.org, introducing customers to political activists. "For the first time, I feel like I can't not be involved. When they're attacking the bookstore, I can't just sit back and accept what's being done."

Although liberals were on the offensive this year, conservatives have their share of hot issues -- and bestsellers. "We've had so many people come up and say, 'Thanks for being here,' " said Lauren Lawson, a publicist for longtime conservative publisher Regnery, whose hits include Bernard Goldberg's Bias.

All this indicates just how important political books have become for publishers and independent booksellers, both of which have struggled recently. Fiction sales are down, and bookstores have to compete with giant chain stores and Costco. Fast-selling political titles, often released mere weeks after the events they discuss, help keep them afloat.

Publishers and booksellers say the dominance of nonfiction doesn't dampen their expectations for what they call a good crop of fiction titles. Still, fiction's share of the book market is slipping.

According to R. R. Bowker, a company that provides bibliographic information for all titles commercially printed in the United States, the number of titles printed in the United States in 2003 "increased a staggering 19 percent to 175,000 new titles and editions, the highest total ever recorded." At the same time, the number of fiction titles declined slightly.

"The growth in adult nonfiction categories, first seen in the months following 9-11, accelerated in 2003," said Andrew Grabois, senior director of publisher relations and content development, in a press release. "The question for publishers to consider in the coming months is whether the public's interest in current affairs is a new swing of the pendulum or a passing historical moment. For now, publishers will try to produce new products to satisfy a market caught up in the drama of war, partisan politics and the cultural divide."