Why were so many Americans willing to support Senator Joesph McCarthy during the early 1950s?

Answer 1

Because he was right about Communism. Unfortunately, he didn't block the school room doors.

Answer 2

I'm not sure that he had wide spread support. Edward R. Murrow exposed McCarthy in 1954 for the drunk fool that McCarthy was. That broke the back of the "Red Scare" and destroyed McCarthy's credibility.

McCarthy's attack on the Army, especially his insinuations that one of the greatest Americans to ever serve this country, George Marshall, was somehow traitorous, helped unite the military and the millions of veterans against McCarthy.

From the point of view of why McCarthy's support was so wide spread, remember in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the USSR was flexing its muscles, Joe Stalin now had the bomb, Korea had blown up and the Communists had taken China over. It was a time of great fear and McCarthy fed on that fear. His attacks were 99% groundless, stoked by his alcoholism and ego. His lists that he held up at Senate hearings never were allowed to be examined. Of course there was nothing on the lists that could be shown to be proven.

Answer 3

It was called the red scare. After WWII the Communist former ally Soviet Union was gaining in strength. The government under Josef Stalin was brutal and very secretive.

Americans feared the spread of Communism even into the United States. Leading the fear mongers was Senator Joseph McCarthy (R) Wisconsin. He formed committees to question people in an attempt to root out and expose the Commies that "were under every rock". In the process he ruined people's careers. He probed even the army thinking that some generals and others may somehow have links to Communists. At one point in 1947 there was near hysteria stirred up by one senator.

Today we see how wrong he was and how stupid people were in following him but in those days people were still remembering the war and unsure of what the Soviets were up to.

Answer 4

using fact he became, frequently, surprising approximately his allegations. people supported him using fact the substance of what he claimed became authentic--there became a large style of infiltration of the U.S. government via Soviet spies and brokers. apparently, Bobby Kennedy became on McCarthy's team, and he and JFK have been supporters of McCarthy's efforts. JFK became, no longer by the form, a staunch anti-Communist, as have been each and every of the presidents from Truman as much as Jimmy Carter. McCarthy became a techniques from the only Congressman looking for the quantity of Soviet espionage. the abode Unamerican events Committee and the Senate inner protection Subcomittee have been additionally carrying out investigations. regrettably, the info McCarthy gave weren't that precise and he stored changing the info . So McCarthy became an ordinary objective for the Left, which became desperately attempting to create a smokescreen to cover the reality of Soviet infiltration of the federal government and discredit the entire anti-Communist circulate.

Answer 5

Because the Soviet Union was a very real threat during the 50's. And McCarthy like most Americans were very interested in whether there were Soviet spies in top levels of our government. Take for instance Alger Hiss. Top advisor to both Presidents Roosevelt and Truman was in fact a spy for the Soviets.

Only liberals and Democrats were upset about McCarthy and Nixon's investigations. Three-fourths of America were in favor.

Answer 6

Because he was right. There were communists at the highest level of government Ianthe late 40's and early 50's. Truman did lose China to the communists, Alger Hiss was a spy, The Rosenburgs were guilty. Why do you find it odd that the Americans of that time would have a distaste for treachery at the highest levels of government

Answer 7

That is interesting in that the Senator , in spite of his bully manner, was right about communists in the government.They called themselves "liberals". Today, they still do.

Answer 8

Fear!

Propaganda!

Worked then! Works Now!

Answer 9

Because he effectively used fear to perpetuate false myths while on drugs...kind of like Limbaugh.

Answer 10

Just like today, fear tactics of the Republican party blind fools into voting for them