The McCarthy hearings of the 1950s demonstrated the extreme conservatism that dominated the politics of the time What circumstances allowed McCarthy and conservatism to gain strength during the 1950s?

Answer 1

Most people in the 1950s considered McCarthy a nut. He was from a state that had an open primary. Democrats could vote in the Republican Primary. The Democrats knew they could never defeat Bob LaFollett in a direct election. As a result, the party asked every Democrat in the state to vote for McCarthy in the Republican primary. That way McCarthy became the Republican Senator. McCarthy had no base and would serve one term.

Still, it was a time of concern. International Communism was on the march backed up by Russia's powerful army and industrial might. As a result, people were willing to listen to the charges he was bringing.

In his hearings, McCarthy made some outlandish claims. They were interesting claims. The world waited for details. McCarthy could not give them. Any support he had evaporated. The Senate censured him and stripped him of his chairmanship.