Although some people were aghast at the museum's choice of Clinton, dinner organizers say the former president has sold them more advance tickets than any previous headliner. Obviously they were convinced the financial success of the event would overshadow any negative reaction. The Times' decision to do away with paid obituaries was motivated by savings in newsprint and staff time, plus it has the added advantage of driving more business into its paid obituaries. I'm not sure that they were in the long run. In the case of Clinton, I can't help but wonder whether the decision will cost the museum support in the long run.
Donors can be a fickle lot and people with strong feelings can stay mad for a long time.
The museum may have jeopardized some of its good-will capital by opting for the controversial headliner. In the case of the Times, the decision to drop its popular staff-written obits may help the company make its financial plan this year. But in the long run daily newspapers are battling to hang on to their readers in the face of increased competition from all kinds of media. It seems to me that long haul, they risk bad will that could cost them more in readership than any gain from savings. With respect to UTEP, clearly the department will be better off by playing at home next season.