To what extent was Senator Joseph McCarthy to blame for the Second Red Scare?

The era of the second Red Scare is often thought of and discussed with great consideration of senator Joseph McCarthy whose role undoubtedly increased the public fear of Communism. McCarthy through ‘sensational’ accusations of communism within the State Department succeeded in launching an anti-communist crusade that exploited the pre-existing fear of Cold War. McCarthy's anti-Communist attack, and celebrity like status began in 1950, when he gave his Lincoln day oration at Ohio County Republican Women's Club of Wheeling. He claimed to have list of 205 Communists who were on the government payroll. These accusations lay at the crux of the Senators power and influence. McCarthy later appeared on floor of the Senate with what came to be known as the ‘Lee List’ containing definitive cases that proved the Communist activity taking place government. These accusations threw the US government and citizens alike into immediate panic, concerned that their national security could at any moment be threatened by Communists leaking information to the Soviet Union. However, the list was proven to be largely inaccurate, which while an important consideration to make concerning McCarthy, this fact failed to prohibit his increasing fear mongering in his early years. In this respect, Senator McCarthy can be held accountable for the way in which the Red Scare so suddenly became a perceived actuality, with the truth behind his claims seemingly irrelevant. However, it is arguable that his ‘landmark’ Wheeling speech, was simultaneously his ticket to power and the beginning of his downfall. It was since then commonly known that his claims were very much embellished, the choice of the people to ignore this fact was what nonetheless created such an impact.  

(Paragraph)

While the Senator has been rather justly attributed to the rise of the second Red Scare, there has been a tendency to discuss the second Red Scare while overstating the role of McCarthy. It should rather be recognised that the Scare was underway prior to his crusade, and it undoubtedly outlived him. Republicans had in fact been making the same accusations as he had for years. Therefore, what is most important to draw from a study of McCarthy is the way in which his red baiting accusations were allowed to occur and became a political tactic within the GOP. Furthermore, a more general use of a political discourse of America as a protector of democracy, allowed red baiting to have such a vast impact. The GOP certainly capitalised on McCarthy's popularity amongst the far Right which indeed remained despite knowledge of his false claims. Seemingly his use of red-baiting discourse became a political weapon, and he a ‘vote getter’ for the party. This tactic is seen later in Nixon’s victory which relied heavily on the candidate's ‘red-smearing’ of his opponent Helen Gahagan. Thus, the way in which McCarthy initiated such extreme political tactics of scaremongering can be held accountable for the rise of the second Red Scare.