 A great deal has been said by historians concerning how the news media made Tet the " turning point " in the public 's perception of the war . Popular CBS anchor Walter Cronkite stated during a news broadcast on February 27 , " We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders , both in Vietnam and Washington , to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds " and added that , " we are mired in a stalemate that could only be ended by negotiation , not victory . " Far from suffering a loss of morale , however , the majority of Americans had rallied to the side of the president . A Gallup poll in January 1968 revealed that 56 percent polled considered themselves hawks on the war and 27 percent doves , with 17 percent offering no opinion . By early February , at the height of the first phase of the offensive , 61 percent declared themselves hawks , 23 percent doves , and 16 percent held no opinion . Johnson , however , made few comments to the press during or immediately after the offensive , leaving an impression of indecision on the public . It was this lack of communication that caused a rising disapproval rating for his conduct of the war . By the end of February , his approval rating had fallen from 63 percent to 47 percent . By the end of March the percentage of Americans that expressed confidence in U.S. military policies in Southeast Asia had fallen from 74 to 54 percent . 
