Checkpoint 1: McCarthyism

By: Vincent Amari

08/19/2010

HIS/135

Instructor: Gabriel Jewell

University of Phoenix
 McCarthyism affected the lives and political thinking of people in the U.S. by feeding

them propaganda that many believed. He was quoted in the text at being “a mediocre senator”

and needed something to boost him into the public spotlight to further his career. Many people

believed him because he said he had the names of people but never could tell them exactly how

many. People then thought that Truman and his staff were getting soft so it was the perfect time

for McCarthy to step into the spotlight. This was inappropriate at the time because citizens were

being fed false information by McCarthy when the country had bigger problems to deal with.

Also anyone could have seen the holes in McCarthy’s game plan because he could never tell

people exactly how many people’s names were on the list. Everyone knows that if you come

forward with such vital information that you will be able to back it up with stone cold facts and

evidence; two things McCarthy did not have. In my opinion McCarthy cheated the U.S. citizens

and also other political members by lying to get himself and others into higher positions through

the voting of citizens that believed his propaganda.