A small but vocal group of writers, commentators, and activists argue that
Joseph McCarthy was a hero or at least
unfairly vilified. They are not the mainstream view among historians, but they do exist. Here are the main types of people and specific figures who make this claim:
1. Conservative Authors & Commentators
These are the most prominent defenders of McCarthy. They often argue that McCarthy was exposing real Soviet infiltration and that later releases of classified documents partially vindicated him.
Notable Figures
• M. Stanton Evans – Author of
Blacklisted by History (2007)
- The most widely cited pro-McCarthy book in modern history.
- Claims McCarthy was right more often than people think and was smeared politically.
• Ann Coulter – Author of
Treason (2003)
- Calls McCarthy a “great American patriot.”
- Argues that liberals fabricated myths about McCarthyism.
• William F. Buckley Jr. (early years)
So did Buckley “change his opinion”?
He moved from strong, enthusiastic defense → to a more critical, qualified, and regretful stance.
- He admitted McCarthy made serious mistakes.
• Brent Bozell Sr. – Co-author of Buckley’s pro-McCarthy book.
2. Anti-Communist Activists and Think Tanks
Certain Cold War–oriented activists and historians see McCarthy as a necessary force during a time of genuine Soviet espionage.
Examples
• Cold War revisionist historians such as
- Ronald Radosh (in earlier work)
- Harvey Klehr & John Earl Haynes (though they don’t call him a hero, they argue communist infiltration was real)
These historians do
not excuse McCarthy’s excesses but sometimes say his core concern—Soviet penetration of U.S. government agencies—had a factual basis.
3. Far-Right or Ultra-Conservative Groups
Some fringe or ideological groups portray McCarthy as:
- A warrior against communism
- A martyr of the “liberal establishment”
- A symbol of strong anti-communist action
Examples include:
- Certain chapters of the John Birch Society
- A subset of online right-wing activists who valorize Cold War anti-communism
- Some social media influencers who portray him as a “truth-teller”
4. A Minority of Ordinary Conservatives
Especially online, some conservatives argue:
- McCarthy was “mostly right but went too far.”
- Venona decrypts (released in the 1990s) show that the U.S. government did have communist spies.
- His public image was shaped by Cold War propaganda.
This is not a majority position among conservatives, but it exists.
What Mainstream Historians Say
The
overwhelming majority of historians do
not view McCarthy as a hero. They argue he:
- Lied or exaggerated about evidenceTh
- Blacklisted innocent people
- Weaponized accusation for political power
- Damaged institutions and civil liberties
- Distracted from legitimate counterintelligence work
Even historians who note real Soviet espionage usually say McCarthy worsened the situation rather than helped it.
There is no Far Right in this county....only a Far Left.
Let me teach you some Enlish:
radical
(especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something;
far-reaching or thorough.
I am on the Right, meaning reflecting traditional American values and attitudes: limited government, free markets, and individual freedom, especially free speech.
Only Democrats are radical.....let's prove it:
There is no Far Right in America....only a Far Left known as the Democrat Party.
There is no "radical Right," or Far Right, in this country, you simpleton.
only a Far Left called the Democrat Party.
Let me prove it.
....the only extremists in the nation are the Leftists/ Democrats
You will not be able to find any radical views on the Right.
"Radical" is important to the discussion. It means "especially of change or action relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough" (see Google.)
It's what the radical Obama was getting at when he said “We are five days away from
fundamentally transforming the United States of
America.” — Barack
Obama, October 30, 2008. “
Transforming from the positions that America was built on.....into the Far Left.
Radical positions as opposed to traditional ones identify "Far" Left
“Singer Macy Gray Says American Flag Should Be Abolished”
Singer Macy Gray Says American Flag Should Be Abolished | The Daily Wire
“Transgender Athlete Chelsea Wolfe Says Goal Is To 'Burn a US Flag' at Olympic Podium”
Wolfe, who identifies as a transgender female, spoke to Fox News on Monday to explain her deleted post from March and said, "Anyone who thinks that I don't care about the United States is sorely mistaken."
www.newsweek.com
1. ...
traditional marriage, that involves one man and one woman, and compare that with homosexual marriage.. Which one is radical?
2. Another of those positions under regular discussion is
'prayer' in the public arena....Congress opens each year with prayer. Opposing prayer is radical....religiosity is traditional in America.
3. Is 'free speech' embraced by one side, and opposed by the other? You betcha! Obama's Supreme Court nominee says it would be
be proper to suppress speech because it is offensive to society or to the government.
Starting to see a pattern?
4. While we were founded on the biblical idea that all men are created equal,
LBJ advanced a two-class nation based on skin color.
....this radical view was advanced: affirmative action. Hence, Democrats....the Far Left.
5. Here's one more radical position by the Left....
fighting to elect a sexual pervert and admitted liar and disbarred lawyer to the White House: Bill Clinton
Relative to
American traditions, values, and history ...championing a man of such low character is a radical position.
Hence, Far Left..
6. Franklin Roosevelt threw the United States Constitution under the bus, and used the public fisc for all sorts of endeavors not authorized in Article 1, section 8.
A radical and Progressive position.
He was the ultimate "Far Leftist."
7. Under Franklin Roosevlet
the federal government was transformed from one of limited & enumerated powers only to the Frankensteinian monster it is today. ....the regulatory welfare state where the federal government regulates business and commerce, natural resources, human resources, ...
Under the Progressives, the federal government was no longer limited by the enumerated powers delegated in the Constitution; ...
Radical to the utmost....hence Far Left.
8. Under Roosevelt's NRA, most manufacturing industries were suddenly forced into government-mandated cartels. Codes that regulated prices and terms of sale briefly transformed much of the American economy
into a fascist-style arrangement,
"...
into a fascist-style arrangement,..."
"A New Jersey tailor named Jacob Maged was arrested and sent to jail for the “crime” of pressing a suit of clothes for 35 cents rather than the NRA-inspired “Tailor’s Code” of 40 cents."
No surprise here:
FDR's New Deal was a copy of Mussolini's economic program.
Could anything short of setting up concentration camps for our citizens, be more radical???
Oh...wait....he did build concentration camps for innocent civilians....his own citizens.
9. How about
The Far Left's Gender-Agenda., versus the Right's stand for tradition and reality: "Republicans Battle to Roll Back Washington's New Transgender Bathroom Rules"
Really....could there be a more pertinent example of the radical, insane Far Left's corruption of tradition and history???
Could there?
10. The corruption of the press by the Far Left: the JournoList Scandal: hundreds of
Leftist journalists plotted to minimize negative publicity surrounding Obama’s radical ties. They plotted to smear the other side with lies. Peter Zenger....spinnning in his grave.
A clear affront to the honor bestowed on the press by the first amendment.
And don't forget this winner......men can menstruate and have babies and women can become men.
And several times, I've presented this challenge: If you have used the fallacy "Far Right," or extremist for the Right, or radical Right, or never considered its usage,
see if you can come up with any radical positions by conservatives, the right wing.
