Walter Cronkite: U.S. Too Ignorant to Vote

newsmax.com ^ | Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 6:56 a.m. EDT

[InvisibleChurch]

Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 6:56 a.m. EDT Walter Cronkite: U.S. Too Ignorant to Vote

The man once known as the most trusted journalist in America no longer trusts Americans to vote for their own leaders, saying average citizens are just too ignorant to cast their ballots wisely.

"We [as a nation] are not educated well enough to perform the necessary act of intelligently selecting our leaders," CBS News legend Walter Cronkite told the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication last week.

In quotes picked up by the Los Angeles Times, Cronkite said journalists need to find a way to better inform the public, suggesting they pressure their employers to replace the current roundups of celebrity profiles and personal health and finance pieces with "the news of the day."

"If we fail at that," Cronkite warned, "our democracy, our republic, I think, is in serious danger."

The CBS legend also said that he fears that the blogosphere could threaten the standing of the mainstream media, adding that news consumers are already confused by cable TV's "opinion journalism."

[OldFriend]

Drudge played ole crank-heit's comments on his show last night.

Arrogant old fascist.

Walter, not Drudge!!!

[cricket]

I agree with Walter on this basic point, and I think it's obvious who's to blame: the media and the public schools. Who else could it be?

You are right. . .but in a word. . .we only have to blame Liberals. . .

Liberalism is the 'chicken, of every nasty egg', our country is now eating.

[RoadTest]

I detect a bit of senility here.

[OldFriend]

Clearly he was referring to the people in Louisiana.

[jrd]

but...Jimmie Carter said we would all be smarter!

[Brett66]

Walter Cronkite - betraying the nation ever since vietnam.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Crawl back in your bottle, Walt.

[RoadTest]

Kronkite, I mean.

[Sthitch]

I am glad to see that he could not restrain himself. He spent his career lying to the American people, and causing the death of many in South East Asia, so now in retirement he is at it again. I am sure if he got his way, he would like to see what happen to the South Vietnamese happened to the Iraqis.

[XtreMarine]

I agree. I know my Marines are not as smart as they should be when it comes to political leaders. Most are influenced by family still to make a wise pull of the lever.

Uncle Walter is not too far from the truth.

[Bigun]

I have only two words for Uncle Walter!

Unfortunately I cannot post them here but I'll bet most will be able to figure them out for themselves!

[fatnotlazy]

I too happen to agree with Mr. Cronkite's assessment. I live in a heavily Democrat area -- a lot of seniors and union people. They wouldn't dream of voting Republican or any other party. I don't know about anywhere else, but in my neck of the woods, we have old voting machines with one lever to vote straight Dem or straight Republican. Amazing how many people just do that..they never look at the individual candidates or where they stand on the issues.

I have an aunt who voted the way my uncle told her to vote. He actually gave her a list of candidates to vote for before she went to the polling place. My uncle is gone now, so some time ago, I asked my aunt if she votes. She quit voting after my uncle passed. She has no confidence in herself to do her own thinking and vote for whoever she wants.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Oh yes. The sacred MSM stranglehold on shaping US policy. Right.

[Dawgreg]

Why Walter? Cause' there's more red states than blue states? Because the electorate didn't want to make another mistake like the two made in the 90's? Cause' your buddy Bubba gave your empty, miserable life some entertainment with his totally disgusting administration and antics in the White House? You tell us! (Old fool).

[Smile-n-Win]

Walter Cronkite: U.S. Too Ignorant to Vote

There, I fixed it.

[texasmountainman]

I read Cronkite's bio once and it mentioned that he "attended" the Univ. of Texas from 1933-1935 and mentioned nothing of a degree. And yet he is lecturing people about their lack of education. Why is the pompous phony considered such a fountain of knowledge by the MSM?

[PigRigger]

"We [as a nation] are not educated well enough to perform the necessary act of intelligently selecting our leaders,"

Wow.....those words are very telling in there pompous elitism menatality.....Spoken like a true socialist.....

Been saying for years the left doesn't care for elections, they just want the power to make the decisions on what's good for all irregardless of whether we agree. It's rather simple to this pompous fool, we average folks are just to stupid to know what's good for us.

Thanks Walter for making it so clear...what an ass-clown....

[SuziQ]

The man once known as the most trusted journalist in America no longer trusts Americans to vote for their own leaders, saying average citizens are just too ignorant to cast their ballots wisely.

I guess he only feesl that way when Americans vote a Republican into the office of the Presidency.

[Alberta's Child]

I agree with you, and this obviously goes back a long ways. Ironically, if Americans of prior generations had been half as smart as Cronkite wishes them to be now, he would have been unemployed.