Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Zoltan! who wrote (24941)	7/20/2000 7:17:08 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 769667

The public retains a sense of personal accountability: POLL RELEASES July 18, 2000 Americans Disapprove of Florida Jury's Dramatic $145 Billion Verdict Against Tobacco Industry Public recognizes harm from smoking, but tends to blame smokers themselves rather than tobacco industry by Frank Newport GALLUP NEWS SERVICE PRINCETON, NJ -- The American public disagrees with the verdict handed down by the Florida jurors who, last Friday, awarded $145 billion dollars to smokers who have become ill as a result of smoking. Not only do a majority of Americans say that they disapprove of the verdict, a majority also say that smokers themselves, rather than the tobacco companies, are the ones responsible for the injurious effects of smoking. The tendency of Americans to blame smokers rather than the cigarette companies has been evident in Gallup poll data for the past several years. These feelings persist despite the fact that almost all Americans consider smoking to be harmful and to be a cause of lung cancer and heart disease. Smokers or Tobacco Companies to Blame? In 1994, Gallup first asked the American public where they put the blame for smoking-related problems. At that time, 64% of the public said that smokers themselves are either mostly or completely to blame for "the health problems faced by smokers in this country," while only 25% said that the tobacco industry was either completely or mostly to blame. Now, six years later, in a poll that came immediately in the wake of the Florida verdict, there has been very little substantive change on this measure. Fifty-nine percent of Americans in the current poll say that smokers are to blame for their own problems, with just 26% saying, as the jurors did, that the tobacco companies are mostly or completely to blame. Fourteen percent say both are to blame equally. This same type of sympathetic support for industry has also been found in other areas. The public was asked last December if they sided with the U.S. Justice Department, which was attempting to recover the costs associated with gun-related crimes, or with the gun manufacturing industry. In this situation, the public sided with the gun industry, by a 67% to 28% margin, further suggesting that Americans have less sympathy for efforts to hold industry accountable for what the users of their products do than some might have imagined. About Six out of Ten Disapprove of Florida Jury Verdict Given the American public’s perceptions that smokers, rather than big tobacco, are responsible for the problems associated with smoking, it may not be surprising that -- when asked explicitly about Friday’s decision -- 59% of Americans over the weekend said they disapproved of the verdict while only 37% said that they approved. There are patterns of variation in response to the jury’s verdict within American subgroups: Support for the Florida decision declines with age, although in no case does a majority of any age group approve. Forty-four percent of younger Americans, ages 18-29, say that they approve, compared to 34% of those who are 50 and older. Support for the verdict is much higher on the two coasts, with those in the Midwest and the South much less likely to approve. In fact, only 28% of Americans living in the South -- home of much of this nation’s tobacco production -- say they agree with the jury, compared to 46% of Easterners and 45% of those living in the West. Liberals (45%) and Democrats (40%) are more likely to say they approve of the decision than are conservatives (31%) and Republicans (27%). Indeed, from a more general perspective, 67% of Republicans say that smokers are to blame for smoking related problems, compared to 53% of Democrats. The lack of support for the jury’s dramatic punishment of the tobacco industry comes despite the fact that Americans overwhelmingly agree -- as they have for years -- that smoking is a harmful practice. Ninety-five percent say that smoking is harmful to the smoker’s health, and large majorities say that smoking is a cause of both lung cancer and heart disease. In fact, 45% say that smoking has been a cause of problems within their family. Survey Methods The results below are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,063 adults, 18 years and older, conducted July 14-16, 2000. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. Which of the following statements best describes your view of who's to blame for the health problems faced by smokers in this country? [ROTATE 1-4/4-1: 1 The tobacco companies are completely to blame, 2) The tobacco companies are mostly to blame, 3) Smokers are mostly to blame, 4) Smokers are completely to blame?] BASED ON -- 506 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A; ± 5 PCT. PTS Tobacco companies Smokers Completely to blame Mostly to blame Equally to blame (VOL.) Mostly to blame Completely to blame No opinion 2000 Jul 14-16 6% 20 14 29 30 1 1999 Sep 23-26 9% 21 13 31 24 2 1994 May 6-7 5% 20 10 38 26 1 As you may know, a Florida jury Friday ordered tobacco companies to pay $145 billion in damages to Florida smokers who have been made sick by smoking. Would you say your approve or disapprove of this decision by the Florida jury? BASED ON -- 557 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B; ± 5 PCT. PTS Approve Disapprove No opinion 2000 Jul 14-16 37% 59 4 Copyright© 2000 - The Gallup Organization

To: Zoltan! who wrote (24941)	7/20/2000 7:18:43 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

The public retains a sense of personal accountability: POLL RELEASES July 18, 2000 Americans Disapprove of Florida Jury's Dramatic $145 Billion Verdict Against Tobacco Industry Public recognizes harm from smoking, but tends to blame smokers themselves rather than tobacco industry by Frank Newport GALLUP NEWS SERVICE PRINCETON, NJ -- The American public disagrees with the verdict handed down by the Florida jurors who, last Friday, awarded $145 billion dollars to smokers who have become ill as a result of smoking. Not only do a majority of Americans say that they disapprove of the verdict, a majority also say that smokers themselves, rather than the tobacco companies, are the ones responsible for the injurious effects of smoking. The tendency of Americans to blame smokers rather than the cigarette companies has been evident in Gallup poll data for the past several years. These feelings persist despite the fact that almost all Americans consider smoking to be harmful and to be a cause of lung cancer and heart disease. Smokers or Tobacco Companies to Blame? In 1994, Gallup first asked the American public where they put the blame for smoking-related problems. At that time, 64% of the public said that smokers themselves are either mostly or completely to blame for "the health problems faced by smokers in this country," while only 25% said that the tobacco industry was either completely or mostly to blame. Now, six years later, in a poll that came immediately in the wake of the Florida verdict, there has been very little substantive change on this measure. Fifty-nine percent of Americans in the current poll say that smokers are to blame for their own problems, with just 26% saying, as the jurors did, that the tobacco companies are mostly or completely to blame. Fourteen percent say both are to blame equally. This same type of sympathetic support for industry has also been found in other areas. The public was asked last December if they sided with the U.S. Justice Department, which was attempting to recover the costs associated with gun-related crimes, or with the gun manufacturing industry. In this situation, the public sided with the gun industry, by a 67% to 28% margin, further suggesting that Americans have less sympathy for efforts to hold industry accountable for what the users of their products do than some might have imagined. About Six out of Ten Disapprove of Florida Jury Verdict Given the American public’s perceptions that smokers, rather than big tobacco, are responsible for the problems associated with smoking, it may not be surprising that -- when asked explicitly about Friday’s decision -- 59% of Americans over the weekend said they disapproved of the verdict while only 37% said that they approved. There are patterns of variation in response to the jury’s verdict within American subgroups: Support for the Florida decision declines with age, although in no case does a majority of any age group approve. Forty-four percent of younger Americans, ages 18-29, say that they approve, compared to 34% of those who are 50 and older. Support for the verdict is much higher on the two coasts, with those in the Midwest and the South much less likely to approve. In fact, only 28% of Americans living in the South -- home of much of this nation’s tobacco production -- say they agree with the jury, compared to 46% of Easterners and 45% of those living in the West. Liberals (45%) and Democrats (40%) are more likely to say they approve of the decision than are conservatives (31%) and Republicans (27%). Indeed, from a more general perspective, 67% of Republicans say that smokers are to blame for smoking related problems, compared to 53% of Democrats. The lack of support for the jury’s dramatic punishment of the tobacco industry comes despite the fact that Americans overwhelmingly agree -- as they have for years -- that smoking is a harmful practice. Ninety-five percent say that smoking is harmful to the smoker’s health, and large majorities say that smoking is a cause of both lung cancer and heart disease. In fact, 45% say that smoking has been a cause of problems within their family. Survey Methods The results below are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,063 adults, 18 years and older, conducted July 14-16, 2000. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. Which of the following statements best describes your view of who's to blame for the health problems faced by smokers in this country? [ROTATE 1-4/4-1: 1 The tobacco companies are completely to blame, 2) The tobacco companies are mostly to blame, 3) Smokers are mostly to blame, 4) Smokers are completely to blame?] BASED ON -- 506 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A; ± 5 PCT. PTS Tobacco companies Smokers Completely to blame Mostly to blame Equally to blame (VOL.) Mostly to blame Completely to blame No opinion 2000 Jul 14-16 6% 20 14 29 30 1 1999 Sep 23-26 9% 21 13 31 24 2 1994 May 6-7 5% 20 10 38 26 1 As you may know, a Florida jury Friday ordered tobacco companies to pay $145 billion in damages to Florida smokers who have been made sick by smoking. Would you say your approve or disapprove of this decision by the Florida jury? BASED ON -- 557 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B; ± 5 PCT. PTS Approve Disapprove No opinion 2000 Jul 14-16 37% 59 4 Copyright© 2000 - The Gallup Organization gallup.com