Posted on 07/18/2009 9:23:11 AM PDT by Starman417
With the love-fest going on for Cronkite I felt the need to interject some reality into the situation. A few reasons why the man shouldn't be remembered as fondly as some suggest.
One reason....His part in ensuring that Vietnam would end badly for the United States by uttering these kind of words, and doing it on a nightly basis:
Who won and who lost in the great Tet offensive against the cities? I’m not sure. The Vietcong did not win by a knockout, but neither did we. The referees of history may make it a draw.It seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.
But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.
He uttered those opinions of his after visiting Vietnam and the Tet Offensive. Words that were completely untrue.
Another reason....He was one of the first reporters to give his opinion while reading the news, and in so doing started a gradual erosion of our MSM to what it is today. A complete embarrassment on so many levels.
Today, it’s hard to fully appreciate the stature and status Cronkite held in 1968. He was the successor in fame to the demigod persona that had been Edward R. Murrow. When President Johnson heard of Cronkite’s comments, he was quoted as saying, “That’s it. If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America.”In January 2006, Cronkite said his statement on Vietnam was his proudest moment. When asked then if he would give the same advice on Iraq, Cronkite didn’t hesitate to say “Yes.”
At the time, Cronkite’s pronouncement added credibility and importance to all the network anchors. His was a stunning exercise of media power. But, in the perspective of history, the outcome of his pronouncement is not universally recognized as having been positive. He overtly and figuratively stepped out from behind the microphone to add his personal commentary to the news. We had not seen this before. By doing so, Cronkite issued an implicit license to his journalistic colleagues to interject personal opinions into their factual reporting of the news. The difference is that Cronkite clearly labeled it as personal opinion, while many MSM news personalities today weave their opinions into reporting. His sentiment registered with many, perhaps most, of his viewers that night. He changed opinions by offering his own. But in hindsight, his analysis was wrong – dead wrong for some.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net ...
RIP. May Walter be in good company with the tens of thousands of soldiers he stabbed in the back.
actually I hope wally is NOT with the honorable soldiers and marines he stabbed
The death of the great news god.......
May the rest of the lying “news” media join him ASAP.
He belongs on a “most overrated” list.
All I have to say is that we were a Huntley/Brinkley Report watching family.
He would have never gotten away with his lies if there had been an internet.
Look out when that happens for Wellstone redux...
Luckily, my TV came with a channel-changer and an 'off' button...
I reckon he deserves to be on the great unknown list.
Outside of America, and possibly Canada, he was a total nobody.
The media has already canonized him as it’s secular saint with accolades like “trust”. “honorable” “reliable” “voice of reason” etc.
If the pen is mightier than the sword, his misuse of his anchor perch was perhaps as treasonous as that of Jane Fonda.
But does anyone have links or quotes that Cronkite actually wanted to thwart the SEATO effort in Indochina or if he was simply wrong in his assumptions.
I realize he was not a right winger but the political divisions then were slightly different from today.
Political divides are not static or straight continuum
the irony is that back then i was an idealistic left leaning libertarian on many issues but like I said many things were not on our plate like today but yet we all thought the entire media both the three networks and print were staid establishment conservative...and that includes Cronkite.
there was no love loss between the media and the counter culture..aside from some weekly college rags
That is all anyone needs to know about this traitor.
RIP
From a VET. Good riddance. My he burn he hell for what he did to us vets.
Something to knock off the Jackson meme.
I can see Wally now taking his glasses on and off repeatedly choking up as he realizes he’s staring Beelzebub in the face.
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