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If the publishers want to make sure the e-bookselling business doesn't become a monopoly, it makes great sense to support Barnes & Noble.
If they want to arrest the shift from p-books to e-books, I'm not sure that makes as much sense. If you go to a B&N, they're promoting the Nook hard. The windows are filled with pictures of the Nook; it's what you see when you walk in the door, they've added more tables where you can play with the Nook, shelves of attractive Nook covers, etc. B&N is trying to lead the charge towards e-books too.
The goals of publishers and B&N are not totally in sync: if B&N is successful as a starbucks + magazine rack + nook kiosk + the types of books that aren't being turned into ebooks + a few bestsellers, that would mean the publishers lose, even if B&N is OK. IIRC B&N is shedding stores anyhow.
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