Yes, Bill,
That's why Cronkite, when told he was "the most trusted man in America" and urged to run for political office, basically said that would be counter to what he was about -- which was the news, not him and his views or celebrity.

Sadly ironic that today our news brodcasts are longer and more ubiquitous than when Cronkite started, yet they bring less and less information (especially about important topics) than ever before.