On February 27, 1968, Walter Cronkite, while anchoring the CBS Evening News, diplomatically and emphatically said \u201cWe are mired in a stalemate.\u201d He was talking about Vietnam.<\/p>\n
The Vietcong and North Vietnamese had launched a full-fledged attack, known as the Tet offensive, on American and South Vietnamese forces. While the inaccurate casualty numbers may have favored the U.S., Tet was a morale breaker and demonstrated that the U.S. had little or no chance of accomplishing its stated goals in Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Cronkite reported from Vietnam on the aftermath of the Tet offensive. On February 27 he wrapped up his broadcast by first stating<\/a>:<\/p>\n Tonight, back in more familiar surroundings in New York, we’d like to sum up our findings in Vietnam, an analysis that must be speculative, personal, subjective.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He ended by saying:<\/p>\n But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.<\/p>\n This is Walter Cronkite. Good night.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n