Posted on 11/15/2004 10:13:05 AM PST by Conservative Coulter Fan
"If Walter Cronkite was around today," USA Today founder Al Neuharth proclaimed in a speech in South Dakota last week, "I think John Kerry would be President" because of "the trust the people in Middle America had in Cronkite, when he returned from Vietnam opposed to the war, public opposition soon followed." As recounted by the Daily Republic in Mitchell, South Dakota, in addition to boasting of the influence of Cronkite's bias, Neuharth "said he thought if McGovern had won the presidency in 1972, U.S. troops would have pulled out from Vietnam a lot sooner with a lot fewer casualties, the Cold War could have ended sooner and there would have been a compassionate Democratic leadership." Neuharth seriously maintained: "The seeds for ending the Cold War were sown by George McGovern."
FNC's Brit Hume in his Wednesday "Grapevine" segment quoted Neuharth's contentions and I tracked down the local newspaper story with the quotes. An excerpt from the November 10 Daily Republic article, "USA Today founder criticizes national media's political coverage," by Harold Campbell:
The national media took a few hits on election coverage from Al Neuharth, a Eureka native and founder of USA Today, who spoke at Tuesday's annual McGovern Center Conference at Dakota Wesleyan University.
"I think the media often reflects public activities or opinions rather than reports on them," he said.
Neuharth said the national media probably was more unfair to McGovern during his 1972 presidential campaign than to any other candidate he can remember.
"Many (reporters) got caught up in the country's apparent support for Vietnam," he said. "The media often reflects public activities or opinions rather than reports on them. They certainly weren't fair and objective in 1972."
However, he said he thought the presence of one journalist in the 1970s helped shape policy, Walter Cronkite.
Because of the trust people in Middle America had in Cronkite, when he returned from Vietnam opposed to the war, public opposition soon followed,
"If Walter Cronkite was around today, I think John Kerry would be president," he said.
Most of Neuharth's presentation consisted of fielding questions from audience members in the newly dedicated Sherman Center....
He also said he thought the national media was doing a good job of reporting the facts from Iraq.
"The number of troops involved and casualties are facts, and we should report those facts," he said.
"However, in a war, both sides of the conflict are great propagandists, and we have to separate facts from propaganda."
He said reporting the facts could play a key role in public response to U.S. policy in the Middle East.
"People have to ask themselves if this is worth the price," he said....
Neuharth said he has known McGovern for more than 50 years.
He said he thought if McGovern had won the presidency in 1972, U.S. troops would have pulled out from Vietnam a lot sooner with a lot fewer casualties, the Cold War could have ended sooner and there would have been a compassionate Democratic leadership.
"The seeds for ending the Cold War were sown by George McGovern," Neuharth said.
Neuharth is the founder and senior advisory chairman of the Freedom Forum, a non-partisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people.
The Freedom Forum funds and operates the Newseum, the First Amendment Center and the Diversity Institute.
Neuharth was the chairman of the Freedom Forum from 1986 to 1997, and was a trustee of the foundation and its predecessor, the Gannett Foundation, from 1965 to 1999.
He is also the former chairman and chief executive officer of Gannett Co.
END of Excerpt
For the article in full: www.mitchellrepublic.com
Neuharth devoted his Friday USA Today column to similar praise of McGovern, "Is McGovern again ahead of the times?" For the November 12 piece, with a picture of Neuharth: www.usatoday.com
Kronk is one of the names on my list whose grave will need urination. Krazy kommie ba$tard.
How to steal an election...
No Komrade Al Neuharth, founder of Pravada USA Lies Today. A majority of Americans are on to your lies and those of Komrade Kronkite.
"If Walter Cronkite was around today,"
Did I miss it? Hanoi’s chief propagandist died? I'll have to drink a couple extra beers tonight in celebration!
Maybe if Cronkite were NOT around then, Viet Nam would be free . . .
And tens of thousands fewer people would have died.
Neuharth, once again, proves himself to be a drooling idiot. Every time he grandstands like this, he spouts crap that leaves most of us slackjawed in disbelief.
Maybe millions, including Laos and Cambodia.
This is as good a place as any to mention - there have been a lot of phony "analogies" drawn between Iraq and Viet Nam, and people have discussed the differences in response. One thing I've never heard: Johnson campaigned in 1964 saying he would NOT escalate the war. Bush campaigned in 2004 by saying we need to WIN in Iraq. (I believe he noted Iraq as a concern in 2000 also, although pre-9/11 the picture was very different.) Whatever.
The only analogies I see between Iraq and Viet Nam is that Iraq has devolved into an insurgency and the MSM is once again on the side of the enemy.
Right.
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