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I remember being sent home from fourth grade in the middle of a chilly November day, by Miss Rosencrans (who was crying) only to walk in the house to find my babysitter watching the television. She was crying too.
My mother rushed into the house, home much earlier than expected from her afternoon errands, tears on her face. By this time, I was pretty sure something was terribly wrong with the world: my teacher, my babysitter, my mother, all in tears, none able to explain what was wrong.
But it was when Walter Cronkite took off his glasses, wiped his eyes and announced that the President was dead: that was when I knew the world wouldn’t ever be the same again. Because Walter Cronkite, no matter what horrible or wonderful news he brought into our homes every day, never cried.
Until that day.
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Mr. Cronkite was not the pathfinder that Ed Murrow was, but he was a first rate journalist and a human being. His successors are less of both.
It’s striking to watch the current teevee midgets deal with his death.
I remember the principal coming to the door of my 3rd Grade Class to tell us we were being sent home. I remember my mother crying when I got home. I went to a Catholic school so it was a hard hit.
Brian Williams is now telling me The News is much more democratic, since he has a blog.
Dan Rather on Rachel Maddow now – -interesting that Dan did not appear on the CBS News with Katie Couric this evening to talk about Walter, but on MSNBC, sharing his thoughts and recollections.
The death came after the Katie news, I think. But he likely would not be invited….CBS is still the Defendant, isn’t it?
My thoughts exactly. And I wondered if CBS has any heartburn at all about where things stand with one of their highest profile alums.
I’ve always associated Cronkite with that day in November and thought of you….
Katie broke into our local CBS news here on the West Coast with the Walter news.
Raising a Toast to Mr. Cronkite !
If only Chuck, Ed, Chip & Major could be worthy to stand in his shadow …
Thanks Teddy !
For the record, Walter Kronkite was a gung ho warmonger for much of his early/mid career. It wasn’t until he had witnessed with his own eyes the carnage (Viet Nam) he had earlier applauded, that his heart was changed to a degree.
Late in his life, Walter spoke like a liberal. By then, he was too late to do any real good.
Which wars did he support?
All of them. He supported all American wars, American hegemony, America – right or wrong, apple pie and the Military Industrial Complex. He initially supported the Viet Nam War. He was especially proud of WW2.
Hackworth, with all due respect, he came out against the Vietnam War when it was a very difficult thing to do, a real act of courage.
A lot of people were proud of WWII. To say he was America right or wrong, you will have to come up with better support for this hypothesis than given to date.
Thank you, Teddy. From the time as a young, struggling married couple when we managed to save up enough for a TV, Walter Cronkite has been an important part of my life. We just always believed he did tell it the way it was – well, the way he thought it was anyway.
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There will never again be someone in America trusted by so many the way Walter Cronkite was.
Walter Cronkite’s death rescued Rachel Maddow from having to address the uproar over Pat Buchanan’s atrocious appearance on her program last night. I hope she has something to say on Monday. Remind her here: rachel@msnbc.com
Walter Cronkite belongs to another age, one where the news was still the news. It wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t this corporate version of the Gong Show we have now.
And unfortunately we don’t have another great among us anymore to kick the Todd, Chuck’s off the stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACpNVD5GMUw
Gene Gene the Dancing Machine did NOT do kabuki.
The most trusted name in news. Any other person or network is just a pretender. It’s sad that he outlived real journalism, and both it and he will be missed.
It’s tough watching that video.
Last night, on MSNBC, someone stated that when Walter Cronkite came out against the Viet Nam war, it turned the nation.
I don’t believe journalism died with him, however. There are REAL journalists out there–Bill Moyers, Michael Winship, and some hardcore bloggers out there that should be on primetime, but are pushed aside by corporate-owned media.
If anything, Cronkite’s death should spur us on to demand the media conglomerates be broken up and our Fourth Estate restored.