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American Voices: Trade, Health Care

Aired December 02, 2003 - 14:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Time for "American Voices," our weekly visit with a man who tracks the ebb and flow of public opinion, Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. And we have a lot of territory to cover today.
Frank, let's go ahead and start, if we could, with free trade. Right now the threat of a trade war looms as Europe pressures the U.S. to lift steel tariffs. How much does the public support on free trade around the world?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Well, good question. Bush, the president, in Pittsburgh today, but he didn't make a decision on the controversial steel tariffs. What I think saw he said, It's too complicated. I'm still thinking about it. I kind of think that's what the public is telling us.

We asked, does overseas trade basically a positive opportunity for the U.S., because goods are cheaper here, or is it a threat, obviously, because U.S. goods can be out priced and we might lose jobs in this country?

Well, bottom line, it's mixed. Although Americans, Heidi kind of come a little more, 49 percent on the side that it's an opportunity.

So you see a slight tendency for Americans to say yes, foreign trade, all in all, is a good thing rather than a bad thing. But it's not overwhelming by any means.

COLLINS: Let's talk AIDS for a moment. Richard Gere says he's campaigning to remove the stigma of AIDS in India. And official with the World Health Organization calls AIDS the premier disease of mass destruction. Is there any indication that Americans have become complacent about the disease?

NEWPORT: Every indication in the world. Back in 1987, 68 percent of Americans told us that AIDS was the most urgent health problem in the U.S. We repeated that question. Look where AIDS is now, way down at the bottom of the list, top of mine.

Most Americans don't think of it at all. Just 8 percent say it's the most urgent health problem facing the country. It's been supplanted, interestingly, in the minds of Americans, by health care costs and health care access. All those kind of things.

But AIDS clearly no longer top of mine like it was 10, 15 years ago. COLLINS: While we're talking about health, Frank, you have new numbers on how Americans view health care providers. Tell us a little about those.

NEWPORT: Well, this is our annual update on the honesty and ethics of professions, as perceived by the American population.

I'll show you some people that come in very much at the top of the list. And our hats off, Heidi, to nurses. Eighty-three percent of Americans say that they believe nurses are ethical and honest, that's by far the highest of anybody on the list. Congratulations.

They're actually more honest, as far as the public's concerned than the people who make more, the doctors, 68 percent. Veterinarians, pharmacists, dentists -- lot of health care people at the top of the list. But nurses, numero uno.

Business executives, people ask me about that a lot. They say has their image suffered as a result of Enron, Martha Stewart, Tyco and all that. Well they didn't have much further down to go. Unfortunately, the high point for business executives perceived ethics was 25 percent in 2001. But it's 18 percent now.

But, basically, it's been low, and the honesty and ethics of business executives perceived by the public, Heidi, stays low as of our most recent poll.

COLLINS: All right. My grandmother was a nurse. So I'll make that clear.

NEWPORT: Great, great, great people. According to the American public they're the back bone of the medical system it looks like to us. And I tend to agree with that.

COLLINS: Interesting stuff. Frank Newport, thanks so much for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 2, 2003 - 14:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Time for "American Voices," our weekly visit with a man who tracks the ebb and flow of public opinion, Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. And we have a lot of territory to cover today.
Frank, let's go ahead and start, if we could, with free trade. Right now the threat of a trade war looms as Europe pressures the U.S. to lift steel tariffs. How much does the public support on free trade around the world?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Well, good question. Bush, the president, in Pittsburgh today, but he didn't make a decision on the controversial steel tariffs. What I think saw he said, It's too complicated. I'm still thinking about it. I kind of think that's what the public is telling us.

We asked, does overseas trade basically a positive opportunity for the U.S., because goods are cheaper here, or is it a threat, obviously, because U.S. goods can be out priced and we might lose jobs in this country?

Well, bottom line, it's mixed. Although Americans, Heidi kind of come a little more, 49 percent on the side that it's an opportunity.

So you see a slight tendency for Americans to say yes, foreign trade, all in all, is a good thing rather than a bad thing. But it's not overwhelming by any means.

COLLINS: Let's talk AIDS for a moment. Richard Gere says he's campaigning to remove the stigma of AIDS in India. And official with the World Health Organization calls AIDS the premier disease of mass destruction. Is there any indication that Americans have become complacent about the disease?

NEWPORT: Every indication in the world. Back in 1987, 68 percent of Americans told us that AIDS was the most urgent health problem in the U.S. We repeated that question. Look where AIDS is now, way down at the bottom of the list, top of mine.

Most Americans don't think of it at all. Just 8 percent say it's the most urgent health problem facing the country. It's been supplanted, interestingly, in the minds of Americans, by health care costs and health care access. All those kind of things.

But AIDS clearly no longer top of mine like it was 10, 15 years ago. COLLINS: While we're talking about health, Frank, you have new numbers on how Americans view health care providers. Tell us a little about those.

NEWPORT: Well, this is our annual update on the honesty and ethics of professions, as perceived by the American population.

I'll show you some people that come in very much at the top of the list. And our hats off, Heidi, to nurses. Eighty-three percent of Americans say that they believe nurses are ethical and honest, that's by far the highest of anybody on the list. Congratulations.

They're actually more honest, as far as the public's concerned than the people who make more, the doctors, 68 percent. Veterinarians, pharmacists, dentists -- lot of health care people at the top of the list. But nurses, numero uno.

Business executives, people ask me about that a lot. They say has their image suffered as a result of Enron, Martha Stewart, Tyco and all that. Well they didn't have much further down to go. Unfortunately, the high point for business executives perceived ethics was 25 percent in 2001. But it's 18 percent now.

But, basically, it's been low, and the honesty and ethics of business executives perceived by the public, Heidi, stays low as of our most recent poll.

COLLINS: All right. My grandmother was a nurse. So I'll make that clear.

NEWPORT: Great, great, great people. According to the American public they're the back bone of the medical system it looks like to us. And I tend to agree with that.

COLLINS: Interesting stuff. Frank Newport, thanks so much for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com