Daily Doc: RJR, Dec 22, 1978: 'Iron fist in a velvet glove'
Daily Doc: "Iron fist in a velvet glove"
Title: Target Goal #1: Reversing Steadily Unfavorable Trends in Public Opinion Regarding the Social Acceptability of Smoking
RJR, Dec 22, 1978
Bates #: 500869538/9539
March 27, 2000
This is one of the 39,000 internal documents that the tobacco industry was forced to turn over to the Senate Commerce Committee after losing a bid to the U.S. Supreme Court to withhold them from the public. It contains on of my personal all-time favorite industry quotes:
Unless countervailing steps are taken (such as lobbying) public decision-making will march with public opinion.......in addition to some other remarkable revelations, like how difficult it would be to rally smokers behind their "rights" when most of them really want to quit smoking. It is also remarkable for the haughty attitude revealed by the following line:
The industry's lobbying and campaign effects should not be ballyhooed. Our aim is a clean iron fist inside a clean velvet glove...
CITATION
Title: Target Goal #1: Reversing Steadily Unfavorable Trends in Public Opinion Regarding the Social Acceptability of Smoking
Type of Document: Report
Author: Durden, D
Date: 19781222
Company: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Site: Tobacco Documents Online - http://www.tobaccodocuments.org ---> Bliley Documents
Page Count 25
Bates No. 500869538/9539
URL: http://www.tobaccodocuments.org/raw/dispPage.cfm?SearchKey=velvet%20glove&HideComment=YES&ParentID=79&PageNum=1 (you may have to cut and paste the entire URL into your browser if it doesn't show up as blue HTML lettering)
QUOTES
Public affairs has a special, but limited interest in public opinion...Unless countervailing steps are taken (such as lobbying) public decision-making will march with public opinion....
...The strongest themes for resisting social acceptability attacks are those that stress the dangers of increasing governmental encroachment into personal choices and lifestyle...
...The industry should carefully audit and appraise its governmental relations activities to make certain that growing public and leadership opinions about its undue influence are never buttressed by disclosures of industry improprieties or illegal actions. The industry's lobbying and campaign effects should not be ballyhooed. Our aim is a clean iron fist inside a clean velvet glove...
8. Any future efforts to have smokers assert their "rights" is heavily shadowed by the growing desire of smokers to stop smoking. In effect, many smokers want to lose their rights. They are not proud to be smokers and they want to quit or cut down. There's no way public affairs can deal with this basic barrier given the legal constraints growing from the primary health issue.
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Anne Landman, Regional Program Coordinator
American Lung Association of Colorado, West Region Office
Grand Junction, CO
(970) 245-2120
afoxland@gj.net
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