Walter Cronkite clears his throat

August 31, 2003 12:53 AM

Walter Cronkite's Ten propositions for the Democrats I respect Cronkite like I respect my grandmother. I'm also a democrat. Please someone, anyone, destroy Walter Cronkite's levelheadism here. Please.
posted by crasspastor (29 comments total)

And if you have something nasty to say remember #10:

10. That Democrats will lock the door against the naysayers, pessimists and political cowards who will maintain that these Democratic goals are only the dreams of idealists.
posted by crasspastor at 12:57 AM on August 31, 2003

why do you hate grandmother so much?
posted by quonsar at 1:04 AM on August 31, 2003

I miss journalism, and journalists.
posted by WolfDaddy at 1:07 AM on August 31, 2003

I see #10 as throwing down the gauntlet at those who are arguing that Democrats can only win by putting themselves one step left of the Republicans on every issue.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:19 AM on August 31, 2003

"3. That deficit financing is bad business, and that taxes must be fairly imposed, with the heavier burden placed on those most able to contribute."

So walter cronkite is arguing for higher taxes for the rich?
posted by Keyser Soze at 1:23 AM on August 31, 2003

I just want to clarify your irony here quonsar:

Because she was an American who grew up during the depression and raised my mother and her sisters in the idealised by lefties, culturally tumultuous 1960s. It colored her politcs enough that she was her own typecast -- in essence, an American dream that I was raised to venerate only once I became old enough to recognize it as such via the Bush maladminstration's generalized rule of insanity. Only rub here is, is that my grandma wasn't a "lefty", she was a proud Democrat. Again, not a lefty, but an American and a Democrat. Quite conservative, but nevertheless stood the fuck up for her and her daughters' rights.

These fuckers want to make 9-11 more important than my upbringing. They will not get away with it. The fact that many of us have grandparents will see to that.

Those who don't or have never had grandparents need to watch their asses.
posted by crasspastor at 2:45 AM on August 31, 2003

"There is nothing impractical about seeking the best for this nation's people, and the restoration of America as a beacon of freedom for the world."

Crasspastor, are you saying Cronkite is a moderate/centrist or that he has a good head on his shoulders? I won't argue with the second, but I would with the first.
posted by BackwardsHatClub at 2:48 AM on August 31, 2003

Well, while we're on the ongoing imperial topic of "America" we may as well do a little better don't you think BHC? If we're able to do it here it can happen anywhere. Isn't that the point?

If we can't, isn't that the antithesis of this new fangled neocon myth our bored ass culture is slowly beginning to gulp down?

How much longer are we going to let American Identity be defined by those who would just as soon stab us in the back, move jobs overseas and weaken our Constitutional rights? Heaven forbid the feelings of those serving in our military.
posted by crasspastor at 2:59 AM on August 31, 2003

How much longer are we going to let American Identity be defined by those who would just as soon stab us in the back, move jobs overseas and weaken our Constitutional rights?

"As long as you keep electing us."
posted by quonsar at 4:36 AM on August 31, 2003

I've been following american politics from my position across the pond for quite a while now (via lefty blogs mostly), and been a dedicated lurker here too. Regretfully, I'm unable to parse this post. It seems to imply an opinion on what is to be the democratic positioning in the upcoming election, yes? Or is it more of a question?

(My opinion is: Clark Clark Clark. I guess that wasn't the point of your post, and apologize in advance for any potential derailment.)
posted by disso at 5:22 AM on August 31, 2003

Cronkite is missing one major point that needs to be said (over and over and over) - That the American People have a right to a government which does what it says, one which does NOT say one thing and then do another as, for example, the Bush Administration has done on the environment ( see the links to recent journalism on this from a recent Mefi post )

In other words, any government -- which asserts one position publicly and then carries out, "stealth" agendas, through the bureaucratic mechanisms of government, which run in a direction 180 degrees away from officially stated policy -- is a fundamentally corrupt government, and one antithetical to spirit of Democracy.

And anyone who thinks otherwise should be strapped into a theatre seat with eyelid restraints (a la "A Clockwork Orange") and forced to watch three days nonstop of a computer generated Jimmy Stewart (Jimmy Stewart in his prime, with his abundance of candid, forthright righteousness) giving an endless series of lectures, speeches, paeans, and bromides even - on the origins, principles, history and traditions of Democracy.
posted by troutfishing at 6:34 AM on August 31, 2003

thanks, crasspastor--i feel exactly the same way, and learned the same sorts of lessons from them too...while my grandparents aren't around anymore, many other people's are, and they always vote, as opposed to people my age and younger...

My brothers and I used to watch Cronkite with my grandpa all the time when we were little, and he would explain what we didn't understand (lots of nixon/watergate/vietnam stuff usually)...I'm glad to see Cronkite speaking out so sensibly as a MAINSTREAM Democrat, especially as i click through the sunday news shows and see Kerry and Lieberman doing that Republican-lite thing...
posted by amberglow at 8:07 AM on August 31, 2003

That the American People have a right to a government which does what it says, one which does NOT say one thing and then do another as, for example,

1) CIA involvement in the wiretap

read the next page also. my god they where wiretapping a comedians hotel room because "Sam Gold" thought his girlfriend was cheating!

In other words, any government -- which asserts one position publicly and then carries out, "stealth" agendas, through the bureaucratic mechanisms of government, which run in a direction 180 degrees away from officially stated policy -- is a fundamentally corrupt government, and one antithetical to spirit of Democracy.

well, heres an arm full.

But people continue to sacrifice their lives for freedom.
posted by clavdivs at 9:05 AM on August 31, 2003

Cronkite cares about the people in America. THAT's rare.

#1 "preserve the peace ... abroad"
We've never been good at that

#5 is downright sedition for conservatives. What, like equal for same-sex couples?

#7 &#8 totally bitchslaps Bush

Cronkite's philosophy comes from kinder, gentler times when we didn't know how badly we were being raped. If we weren't being raped any longer, it might be enough. Compared to this administration, he's a flaming radical.

This election should be *so* easy. It'll be interesting to see how the Dems manage to mess *this* one up.
posted by Twang at 9:06 AM on August 31, 2003

Common sense is so rare these days, no wonder it confuses us when we see it.
posted by junkbox at 9:08 AM on August 31, 2003

"As long as you keep electing us."
posted by clavdivs at 9:09 AM on August 31, 2003

In other words, any government ... which ... carries out, "stealth" agendas ... is a fundamentally corrupt government, and one antithetical to spirit of Democracy

By that definition, this government has been corrupt for at least 100 years.

And I agree.
posted by Twang at 9:15 AM on August 31, 2003

From post: ...many voters and perhaps even more nonvoters complained that they found no political philosophy...

Cronkite gives the typical voter (left or right) way too much credit. Yeah, maybe people in HIS circles complained, but all your average person needs to hear to win your vote is "More stuff for you, someone else pays."
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:21 AM on August 31, 2003

Why can't we just elect Walter Cronkite?

Or troutfishing, on preview?
posted by majcher at 9:29 AM on August 31, 2003

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship

Alexander Fraser Tyler, The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic
posted by ehintz at 9:49 AM on August 31, 2003

I am glad we do not live in a democracy
posted by clavdivs at 10:07 AM on August 31, 2003

Draft Cronkite.
posted by Dunvegan at 10:25 AM on August 31, 2003

Walter Cronkite spat in my food.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2003

Jesus, what a great post.

If only any of the democrats had the balls to just adopt this. But alas....
posted by damnitkage at 11:19 AM on August 31, 2003

(Sarcasm)

Let me xlate for those who are not liberal Democrats:

1) MAD was good, isolationism is better, unless it involves us inserting our bodies between warring factions, which is good, unless we are armed.

2) Increase foreign aid to ridiculous levels. This will buy off the tyrants and corrupt bureaucrats overseas.

3) Raise taxes to support ever increasing spending.

4) Socialize medicine. Unionize all employees. Social Security must include everyone, even if it is bankrupt.

5) Bureaucrats should stop being bureaucrats and just be nice instead.

6) Support the National Education Association. Public schools Si!, private schools No!

7) All students should be guaranteed a diploma, even if they are retarded paraplegics with the IQ of mud.

8) The environment is good as long as I still have a great view from my beach house. NIMBY.

9) Raise the gas tax until it costs $5 a gallon. That will keep the peasants off of my island.

10) I'm not listening. I'm not listening! NYAH-NYAH-NYAH-NYAH! Tinkerbell will live if we can just FORCE everybody to clap their hands!

(/Sarcasm)
posted by kablam at 3:40 PM on August 31, 2003

Not the least of the Democratic Party's problems in the presidential election ahead is the electorate's confusion as to just what the party stands for.

That won't be a problem in 2004, because the Democrats will stand for 'beating Bush', just as Tony Blair's NewLabour stood for 'kicking the Tories out on their arses' in 1997.
posted by riviera at 4:40 PM on August 31, 2003

Kablam that was hilarious! And, it was pretty damn accurate.

Thank God we have competition in the "broadcast" media now. Even if a pompous blowhard like Cronkite were thrown back onto the airwaves he'd be ignored like Phil Donahue was.
posted by paleocon at 1:58 PM on September 1, 2003

I stopped listening to Cronkite when he started voicing his completely hypocritical position on the Cape Wind project to develop offshore wind energy off Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I'm a democrat and I'm an energy guy and I am all for green energy development; so are most Democrats. But when the proposition for this Cape Wind project came up, all the wealthy Democrats with their Martha's Vineyard mansions started crying NIMBY. From that point on, I stopped listening to anything these people have said- these people are amazing.
posted by crazy finger at 3:35 PM on September 1, 2003

Let me just add, having now scanned the list, that point #9 is a joke coming from Cronkite.
posted by crazy finger at 3:37 PM on September 1, 2003