On Cronkite...

Ryan's comments on Cronkite aren't without merit, but I'm not 100% sure I agree with him... at least not 100%, anyway.

I can't deny that it was Cronkite's comments on the war being "lost" that is now remembered as the end of popular support for the effort in Vietnam... even my mother has used his words in explananing why she couldn't support the effort anymore, and as recently as just a few years ago.

However, were I to attribute Cronkite as the father of modern media bias, I would also have to give him the nod for leading the way in what today we take for granted as a cornerstone in today's political understanding... the radio/TV commentator giving opinion and analysis.

I understand Ryan's frustration at the failure of our media industry to promote and maintain the examples set by such journalistic giants as Edward R. Murrow (who was every bit as popular as Cronkite... just not as long-lived)... but Cronkite's contributions shouldn't only be measured in the negative aspect of today's media industry. Especially if one thinks of him as a pioneer in the commentary-analysis of news and politics after his retirement from primeime news anchor... he then is the forefather of Limbaugh, Hannity, and all the rest.