▁psych ological ▁victory , ▁definit ively ▁turning ▁American ▁public ▁opinion ▁against ▁the ▁war ▁effort . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁influ ential ▁news ▁anchor ▁Walter ▁C ron k ite ▁expressed ▁on ▁the ▁air ▁that ▁the ▁conflict ▁was ▁dead locked ▁and ▁that ▁additional ▁fighting ▁would ▁change ▁nothing . ▁Johnson ▁react ed , ▁saying ▁" If ▁I ' ve ▁lost ▁C ron k ite , ▁I ' ve ▁lost ▁middle ▁America ". ▁Indeed , ▁dem oral ization ▁about ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁everywhere ; ▁ 2 6 ▁percent ▁then ▁approved ▁of ▁Johnson ' s ▁handling ▁of ▁Vietnam , ▁while ▁ 6 3 ▁percent ▁disapp ro ved . ▁ ▁Post - T et ▁Off ensive ▁ ▁The ▁T et ▁Off ensive ▁convinced ▁senior ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Johnson ▁administration , ▁including ▁the ▁" W ise ▁Men " ▁and ▁new ▁Def ense ▁Secretary ▁Clark ▁Cl iff ord , ▁that ▁further ▁es cal ation ▁of ▁tro op ▁levels ▁would ▁not ▁help ▁bring ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁war . ▁Johnson ▁was ▁initially ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁follow ▁this ▁advice , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁agreed ▁to ▁allow ▁a ▁partial ▁bomb ing ▁halt ▁and ▁to ▁signal ▁his ▁willing ness ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁peace ▁tal ks . ▁On ▁March ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁Johnson ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁halt ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁in ▁North ▁Vietnam , ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁announ cing ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁seek ▁re - e lection . ▁He ▁also ▁es cal ated ▁U . S . ▁military ▁operations ▁in