I was just reading this article by John Byrne at Raw Story, and I got to thinking - that not only is Howell Raines totally full of himself in the eyes of the "regular person", but he actually realizes this and decides to speak as such.

Generally, using the terms "clubbable," and "sinecures" doesn't gain you any sympathy. But then again, when Raines talks about "people who ought to read the Times but [don't]," it's obvious that doesn't matter to him. Going after "the smartest and most affluent people in the United States" might sound like a great idea, but I think it's a pipe dream in the world we live in if you're a publication of the Times' size. You're the New York Times, not the members only cigar club uptown. In a world where American Express realizes that it can do a better job serving its shareholders by being less exclusionary and more accommodating, the Times needs to follow suit. I think it tries to on most accounts, but if people like Raines are running the show and forgetting about the readership, then the paper isn't going to stay as culturally relevant as it is. Those "40 million" readers that the Times would like to reach are definitely reachable - but maybe they're not reading the Times because they don't agree with the attitude the paper puts forth. When I worked in the advertising world, the Times portrayed itself as the paper that reached the most New Yorkers (and readers in other markets as well) - not just the "best and brightest" readers. It's great to tap that market - but tap them all.

IMHO, I think the current regime at the paper has its head on straight, and is looking towards the future, rather than twiddling its thumbs trying to figure out what to fix next. They're acting and adapting. The incidents like what happened with The National Debate and the parody corrections page are a perfect example of the old and new schools of thought at the publication coming together and serving a good purpose - moving forward.

I wish Mr. Raines good luck on his public speaking circuit, and can't wait to see the reception on his future book tour(s). I'm sure they'll be showing up on Upcoming.org with a vengeance.