In the long-ago 1960s when the Vietnam war started to go south, President Johnson’s administration was tagged with the term “Credibility Gap” as the president’s description of the war did not jibe with the reality of events on the ground.

As the gap grew wider, Johnson grew weaker. He never recovered. He declined to seek reelection and left the presidency a broken man.

Television fueled the credibility gap and destroyed the Johnson presidency. The Vietnam War played out in millions of l...

(more...)

In February, 1968, CBS’ Walter Cronkite was arguably the most trusted news person in the country.  Having just returned from Vietnam, Cronkite broke from his usual practice and offered commentary in which he cast doubt on the American mission there and its chance for success.

After Cronkite’s statement, President Lyndon Johnson is reported to have said that if he had “lost Cronkite”, he had “lost Middle America.” On March 31, he announced he would not run aga...

(more...)