What hurt LBJ was when TV anchorman Walter Cronkite went on nation wide television after he himself had toured South Vietnam and turned against the war on TV. When LBJ saw that on television he reportedly stated, If Ive lost Cronkite Ive lost the war (or the American people). Either way, LBJ was burned out on Vietnam (he wanted to be remembered for his Great Society, not Vietnam), therefore he refused to run for re-election...announcing his refusal on nation wide television.