WALTER CRONKITE: THE MOST OVERRATED MAN IN AMERICA

The Iconoclast ^ | March 21, 2003 | Paul Walfield

[clintonbaiter]

How do you get the title of "the most trusted man in America"? Apparently you do it by deceiving most Americans.

Walter Cronkite, who used to anchor the CBS Evening News, managed to hide his true colors for years; but like most things, everything comes out in the wash.

Mr. Cronkite spent 60 years in "journalism," of which 31 years were spent at CBS. He left his job at CBS in 1981. During the mid 1970's, he was voted among the top ten "most influential decision-makers in America," by U.S. News and World Report. It was a time before cable news, and it was a time when "journalists" could report a story, make a comment, and not be challenged. It was a time when we all thought news was news.

We trusted Walter Cronkite because he read the news and seemed nice.

How could a kindly senior, who smiled and pronounced each syllable of each word, be anything but an American patriot who was devoted to his country and its people?

Well, obviously you really can't tell a book by its cover. And when you start reading Walter Cronkites comments on contemporary events, you begin to view the real Mr. Cronkite -- someone who is anything but an admirable American patriot.

For example, when it comes to America being at fault for being attacked on September 11, 2001, Walter has had some interesting observations, saying: "I think very definitely that foreign policy could have caused what has happened.... It certainly should be apparent now -- it should be, for goodness sakes understood now, but it is not -- that the problem is this great division between the rich and the poor in the world. We represent the rich....Most of these other nations of Africa, Asia and South America and Central America are very, very poor....This is a revolution in effect around the world. A revolution is in place today. We are suffering from a revolution of the poor and have-nots against the rich and haves and that's us."

By the way, in private life, Walter Cronkite is a multi-millionaire who most enjoys sailing his luxurious sailing yatch on the waters of Nantucket Sound, complete with a captain and crew to steer the ship and keep Walter comfortable. Mr. Cronkite is not known to have made any significant contributions of his millions to improve the lot of the Third World.

Moving on, when it comes to America defending itself against tyrants with weapons of mass destruction, here's what Walter Cronkite has to say: "I'm very disappointed that we've come to this point." As for having confidence in America's military and America's ability to overwhelm an enemy, the former CBS anchor just recently commented: "The military is always more confident than circumstances show they should be."

Of course, when it comes to American national security and deeming the safety and security of America and its citizens as paramount, Mr. Cronkite finds that American nationalism can be summarized as following: "The arrogance of our spokespeople, even the president himself, has been exceptional."

Naturally, for someone who learned to dislike America during the Vietnam era, every conflict America is involved in -- even ones that ensue from the need to protect the American civilian population from devastating attacks -- is nothing more than another quagmire. According to Walter Cronkite, "We are going to be in such a fix when this war [against Sadam] is over, or before this war is over.. our grandchildren's grandchildren are going to be paying for this war."

Who cares if several hundred thousand American lives are saved in the interim (or perhaps millions of lives if the nuclear designs of terrorists are squelched)? If taxes go up, how are Walter Cronkite's grandchildren going to be able to afford their own yatchs?

If America keeps trying to maintain its standing in the world and heaven forbid makes the determination to confront terrorism and evil in the world, Wally is very pessimistic: "I look at our future as, I'm sorry, being very, very dark."

So what is Walter Cronkite really about? Well, Wally prides himself for his liberalism and his concern for the environment. However, it's clear that he and his ilk -- righteous millionaires who like to tell others what they must sacrifice and what they must think -- have a bit of difficulty when their own lifestyle may be affected................

[clintonbaiter]

And that's the way he is!

[soozla]

Okkaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy..........and I say that GWB=THE MOST UNDERRATED MAN IN AMERICA...(but not by any of us at FR)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alrea]

Walter Cronkite is a multi-millionaire who most enjoys sailing his luxurious sailing yatch on the waters of Nantucket Sound, complete with a captain and crew to steer the ship and keep Walter comfortable.

liberals for the poor alert

[NYS_Eric]

I've always pegged him just below snail turd, and I admit I HAVE overrated him.

[JimVT]

So what is Walter Cronkite really about

He's about as dumb as a rock since he probably believes all the media-generated hype about him.

[jmaroneps37]

The rat media is losing it's ability to say what is and/or what is not, news. We are winning back control of the media via a three legged stool: The net talk radio and FOXtv. The evil donkey can not lie as easily anymore. Without the ability to lie to the lemmings, the rat party will suffer the same fate as the wicked witch of the west. When that happens, we will be in charge for as far as the eye can see. Think I'm wrong? Ask yourself if moron would have exposed as the anti semite scum that he is, just two years ago. Also could there ever be another uncle walter?
I rest my case.

[IncPen]

I posted this comment the other day, but it's appropriate here.

Ken Auletta wrote a book called "Three Blind Mice" about the history of and the takeover of the networks in the 1980''s by 'big business'

It's a great read, and one who comes off not so great is Walter Cronkite

His main concern when he was 'editor' of the newscast was how much time he'd have on camera. His code phrase was 'what's my magic?' which, if it was insufficient, would be adjusted by cutting reporters' time. Thus Walter would 'voice over' tape that a reporter had collected and written a story about. He was generally regarded as an SOB

I rank him up their with Ben Bradlee as one whose PR outdistanced his worth...

[Conserva Dude]

Many of us remember Comm-Krite telling the Nation in 1968 that we were losing the war during the Tet Offensive. Although Tet was actually a hard-fought tactical victory for the U.S., his comments undermined public support for the war and indirectly led to thousands of U.S. Servicemen losing their lives. He should be treated as a traitor.

[catpuppy]

Replaced by Dan Rather. The nut does not fall far from the tree.

[an amused spectator]

A lot of people don't know that Cronkite was Moscow bureau chief for United Press from 1946-1948.

I find the time frame fascinating.

[Number_Cruncher]

Back in the early 70s his daughter ran away and joined a commune called the Tory Hill Weavers. It is was pretty evident then that Cronkite was a leftist.

[Zionist Conspirator]

I know I've been bashing the Birchies and the palaeos quite a bit here lately, but Walter Cronkite is one of the things that make their conspiracy theory so tempting. Here's an ultra-establishment type who is at once ultra-radical and yet participated as the "owl" in the ritual of the exclusive super-rich Republican "Bohemian Grove." It's people like Cronkite along with elite academia and PBS (on which the United States Government and the Exxon Corporation present The Pete Seeger Show) that makes it tempting to believe that David Rockefeller picked up his phone one day in 1964 and ordered Khrushchev replaced with Brezhnev. You still have to wonder why the Russkies had so many spies here though if they were actually being run by our own establishment.

[Gopher Broke]

This "kind grandfather" is really a first-class JERK.

He is one of the founders of THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE....a leftist group founded to fight Conservative Christians.....

[afraidfortherepublic]

Naw, WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON is the most over-rated man in America.