Walter Cronkite

[graphicgr8s]

Walter Cronkite dead at 92

I liked Cronkite but they're preempting Hannity!!!

[flippedgazelle]

I was channel-surfing when I saw the news on CNN. Bummer. Cronkite was "the newsman" when I was a little kid.

[graphicgr8s]

Originally Posted by flippedgazelle

I was channel-surfing when I saw the news on CNN. Bummer. Cronkite was "the newsman" when I was a little kid.

you're an old fart

[flippedgazelle]

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

you're an old fart

Yes, I am. And that's the way it is.

[larryinlc]

I was just visiting another forum and as expected, his death has turned into an ugly politically charged debate. The man was a legendary broadcaster who gave us a lifetime of service, even risking his own life in the early days. Some today would dare not leave the friendly confines of the climate controlled studio. It's refreshing to see here that at least all are giving him the respect he deserves in his passing. What can I say, I grew up with him in the days when we had only two tv channels to choose from.

Walter, you were a kind gentle man and I appreciate all you've done for television and America. Rest in Peace Sir.

Larry

[graphicgr8s]

Originally Posted by larryinlc

I was just visiting another forum and as expected, his death has turned into an ugly politically charged debate. The man was a legendary broadcaster who gave us a lifetime of service, even risking his own life in the early days. Some today would dare not leave the friendly confines of the climate controlled studio. It's refreshing to see here that at least all are giving him the respect he deserves in his passing. What can I say, I grew up with him in the days when we had only two tv channels to choose from.

Walter, you were a kind gentle man and I appreciate all you've done for television and America. Rest in Peace Sir.

Larry

Man you're even an older fart than flipped!

But I would like to pliagerize you here:

Walter, you were a kind gentle man and I appreciate all you've done for television and America. Rest in Peace Sir.

[larryinlc]

Now hold up there...I'm not that old, but I do remember cutting my teeth on Captain Kangaroo. I really miss Mr Moose and the pingpong balls. Seems to me they pre-empted my favorite morning show for the moon landing. Yes, Walter cut into Mr Greenjeans that morning. Ah, the good old days.

Larry

[Wombat]

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

Man you're even an older fart than flipped!

Show some respect to your elders, young whippersnapper. You'll be old enough and farty enough before you know it.

And yes, a fine innings, Mr Cronkite. We loved you and Alistair Cook even down here at the bottom of the world.

[Driver3]

Hannity should be pre-empted permanently....yellow journalistic BS.
Cronkite was a giant...Hannity...not so much.
Faux news sucks.

[graphicgr8s]

Originally Posted by Wombat

Show some respect to your elders, young whippersnapper. You'll be old enough and farty enough before you know it.

And yes, a fine innings, Mr Cronkite. We loved you and Alistair Cook even down here at the bottom of the world.

You don't know how old I am.

CNN sucks MSNBC suck

[Blue]

Regardless of how great Cronkite was, he was wrong following the Tet Offensive.

[Blue]

Originally Posted by Driver3

Hannity should be pre-empted permanently....yellow journalistic BS.
Cronkite was a giant...Hannity...not so much.
Faux news sucks.

NBC and MSNBC needs to be changed to PBS since they are owned by Government Electric and the head of it is owned by BHO.

[woof]

Originally Posted by Blue

Regardless of how great Cronkite was, he was wrong following the Tet Offensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdOb_183d1o

Wrong ... do you mean purely wrong in his factual analysis or wrong in a more moral or professional sense as in the way in which he wielded "the pen?"

“We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders … to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds.”

“To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion.”

“It is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.”

I am not challenging you Blue, just wondering what you mean. I was seven at the time.

https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~e...kite_1968.html

woof!

[Blue]

Originally Posted by woof

Wrong ... do you mean purely wrong in his factual analysis or wrong in a more moral or professional sense as in the way in which he wielded "the pen?"

“We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders … to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds.”

“To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion.”

“It is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.”

I am not challenging you Blue, just wondering what you mean. I was seven at the time.

https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~ebolt/history398/Cronkite_1968.html

woof!

I was only 4. I have 2 points that often get overlooked in context of his speech:

For it seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.

Saigon fell in '75.

The second point is that the NVA let the VC take the brunt of the Tet offensive and they lost the key part of their leadership and the VC were nothing more than puppets from Hanoi after that. North Vietnam realized that should victory come, they would likely end up having to fight the VC at some point and this was sort of taking care of 2 birds with one stone. North Vietnam took it on the chin during the Tet offensive, however, they won a major victory in the U.S. (especially read 2nd paragraph: https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~ebolt/history398/TranVanTrasCommentsOnTet68_2.html)

In the grand scheme, I don't think we should have been in Vietnam. We may should have helped Ho Chi Minh (our former ally) negotiate with the French early and explained to the French that WWII is over and so is French Indo China.

However, to commit Troops to a war and call it a policing action with no real intent to win it is unconscionable. I had family over there before, during and after the Tet. I grew up watching the news reports sign of at night with the reproters saying "Saigon." I was staying at my grandparents because my dad and uncles were busy. I remember seeing 3 military funerals across the road from my grandparents house and 2 of the 3 were officers and 1 was a sergeant which put it all in a simple perspective for me.

To be honest, I don't think Cronkites speech helped my dad, uncles and cousins one bit.

Edit: Where was Walter Cronkite when Saigon fell? I know where Hugh Van Es was. He was sending stuff out on the UPI wire until the NVA unplugged it.

Edit Edit: I still think Cronkite was one of the 3 greatest TV anchors from the 20th Century and probably the greatest. I would have liked to see him re-visit the Tet after the North Vietnamese documents were declassified a few years ago.

[Blue]

There is one thing for sure. There is no anchor or field journalist at any of the networks or cable news channels that are in the same league with him or the same integrity at the present time.