Originally published on December 17, 2020 2:55 pm
A demagogue is defined as a political leader who gains support by appealing to people’s prejudices instead of using rational arguments or moral reasoning.
Author Larry Tye says at the core, a demagogue is a bully. In his new book, Tye profiles a poster boy for 20th century demagoguery Joseph McCarthy.
The Republican senator from Wisconsin became known in the 1950s for whipping up fear with unfounded claims that everywhere from Washington to Hollywood had been infiltrated by communist spies.
It was known as the Red Scare.
Tye says he started writing his new book, “Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy,” when Donald Trump had just been elected president. He says he would scour the secret documents he’d been given about McCarthy. Then he’d pick up a news article about President Trump, and it was easy to confuse the two.
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American politician Joseph McCarthy, Republican senator from Wisconsin, testifies against the US Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings, Washington, DC, June 9, 1954. McCarthy stands before a map which charts Communist activity in the United States. (Getty Images)
A demagogue is defined as a political leader who gains support by appealing to people’s prejudices instead of using rational arguments or moral reasoning.
Author Larry Tye says at the core, a demagogue is a bully. In his new book, Tye profiles a poster boy for 20th century demagoguery Joseph McCarthy.
The Republican senator from Wisconsin became known in the 1950s for whipping up fear with unfounded claims that everywhere from Washington to Hollywood had been infiltrated by communist spies.