Walter Cronkite And Today's Shallow Newscasters
Stan Grimes
July 19, 2009
One must wonder what the heck ever happened to good news and good journalism. The passing of Walter Cronkite is not about the end of a great commentator, but the act represents the end of intellectual and professional treatment of the important events of our time.
I had the dishonor of hearing Glenn Beck, a multi-millionaire, who claims to be right about everything he mentions on his snoozing program on Fox News. He could not hold a candle to Walter Cronkite. Comparing the two would be a futile exercise at best, like comparing the beauty of the Grand Canyon to new BMW. Walter had more knowledge of the world around him than Glenn has inside his "pin head" (a name he rudely called one of his call-ins, who just happened to disagree with his rants and tantrums). He screamed in his microphone and told the woman to "get off the line you pin head…sic." Hopefully Walter didn´t see Glenn´s debacle. It would, I think, disappoint the great Cronkite to see that our neo-commentators (quasi commentators) have thrown away class and professionalism in their little sideshows called "news commentating."
Walter Cronkite was not about belittling those who disagreed with him. He was about facts and truth, which is more than can be said about such commentators as Beck, O´Reily, Coulter, Limbaugh, just to name a few. These moralists, who ride the backs of their conservative Christian followers, are like drug dealers. Drug dealers prey upon the addicted and uninformed, and get rich in the process. What are they dealing? Lies and half-truths. They go home in the evening, put on their Daffy Duck costumes and pop their psychotropic medications, tapping their feet in public restrooms.
Let´s make this a level playing field. Let´s pretend there is no health reform being proffered by the Whitehouse, no stimulus packages, and no other pressing crises in out country. What kind of humans are these rightwing radicals. You know, beneath the self- righteous exteriors they give to the public. What kind of people are they? Do they check in with their elderly neighbors once in a while? Do they talk to other people, you know like mano to mano? In other words, do they have any backbone when they´re off stage?
My gut tells me they are narcissistic brats. Unwilling to listen to someone, who might catch a fib once in a while. Hypocrisy abounds in the ranks of the self-indulgent, self-absorbed, and ego centered. They, I´m sure, get up on Sunday morning and give tithing to their God, but after Church they return to their sordid slashing out at non-believers.
Will there ever be another Walter Chronkite? No. There is no one on any national media platform that could stand the test of honor and honesty in reporting the news. The closest newsman, who tended to follow the Chronkite creed of professional behavior, was Tim Russert, who unfortunately passed before his time. Tim was a man of honor and believed in honest reporting and commentating. He is gone. Mr. Chronkite´s ladder to success is full of rungs, but they are too high for our neo con commentators to reach. They are incapable. They will never climb to the top, forever ground-feeding piranhas.
Farewell To Walter Chronkite. May he never watch the slaughterhouse we call Fox News.
I had the dishonor of hearing Glenn Beck, a multi-millionaire, who claims to be right about everything he mentions on his snoozing program on Fox News. He could not hold a candle to Walter Cronkite. Comparing the two would be a futile exercise at best, like comparing the beauty of the Grand Canyon to new BMW. Walter had more knowledge of the world around him than Glenn has inside his "pin head" (a name he rudely called one of his call-ins, who just happened to disagree with his rants and tantrums). He screamed in his microphone and told the woman to "get off the line you pin head…sic." Hopefully Walter didn´t see Glenn´s debacle. It would, I think, disappoint the great Cronkite to see that our neo-commentators (quasi commentators) have thrown away class and professionalism in their little sideshows called "news commentating."
Walter Cronkite was not about belittling those who disagreed with him. He was about facts and truth, which is more than can be said about such commentators as Beck, O´Reily, Coulter, Limbaugh, just to name a few. These moralists, who ride the backs of their conservative Christian followers, are like drug dealers. Drug dealers prey upon the addicted and uninformed, and get rich in the process. What are they dealing? Lies and half-truths. They go home in the evening, put on their Daffy Duck costumes and pop their psychotropic medications, tapping their feet in public restrooms.
Let´s make this a level playing field. Let´s pretend there is no health reform being proffered by the Whitehouse, no stimulus packages, and no other pressing crises in out country. What kind of humans are these rightwing radicals. You know, beneath the self- righteous exteriors they give to the public. What kind of people are they? Do they check in with their elderly neighbors once in a while? Do they talk to other people, you know like mano to mano? In other words, do they have any backbone when they´re off stage?
My gut tells me they are narcissistic brats. Unwilling to listen to someone, who might catch a fib once in a while. Hypocrisy abounds in the ranks of the self-indulgent, self-absorbed, and ego centered. They, I´m sure, get up on Sunday morning and give tithing to their God, but after Church they return to their sordid slashing out at non-believers.
Will there ever be another Walter Chronkite? No. There is no one on any national media platform that could stand the test of honor and honesty in reporting the news. The closest newsman, who tended to follow the Chronkite creed of professional behavior, was Tim Russert, who unfortunately passed before his time. Tim was a man of honor and believed in honest reporting and commentating. He is gone. Mr. Chronkite´s ladder to success is full of rungs, but they are too high for our neo con commentators to reach. They are incapable. They will never climb to the top, forever ground-feeding piranhas.
Farewell To Walter Chronkite. May he never watch the slaughterhouse we call Fox News.
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