Walter Cronkite’s job as CBS’s nightly newscaster made him the most trusted man in America for 19 years. Phil Savenick had the good fortune to hire him a couple of times as a host or narrator on the history of television. One time during a break Phil summoned the courage to ask him a question I always wanted to know. “After the fall of Nixon, you were the most trusted man in America. Why didn’t you run for president? You probably would have won.” His reply surprised me, “People had no idea what my politics were. They didn’t know if I was a republican or a democrat - a hawk or a dove. I didn’t’ think it was fair for someone to get elected just because they are on television.” Phil replied, “You’ve got a point, but instead we ended up with Ronald Reagan, because they knew him from TV.”
Sadly Walter is gone and TV gave us an even less qualified celebrity as president. Faux King Trump.