Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy
July 14, 2020
The John Brademas Center of New York University, as part of the Young Leaders Network, co-hosted a virtual panel with NYU Washington, DC Salon Series and discussed Larry Tye's new book Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy.
In the long history of American demagogues, from Huey Long to Donald Trump, never has one man caused so much damage in such a short time as Senator Joseph McCarthy. We still use “McCarthyism” to stand for outrageous charges of guilt by association, a weapon of polarizing slander. Donald Ritchie, Historian Emeritus of the United States Senate, joined the conversation as interlocutor.
This event was free and open to everyone. Registration was required in order to receive log-in information for the webinar. This webinar was recorded.
Larry Tye
Larry Tye is a New York Times bestselling author whose next book, a biography of Senator Joe McCarthy, is due out in the spring of 2020 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
His last book was a biography of Robert F. Kennedy, the former attorney general, U.S. senator, and presidential candidate. Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon explores RFK’s extraordinary transformation from cold warrior to fiery leftist.
Donald Ritchie
Donald A. Ritchie is Historian Emeritus of the United States Senate. As associate historian in the Senate Historical Office, beginning in 1976, Ritchie conducted oral history interviews with former senators and retired members of Senate staff as part of the Senate oral history project. In 2009 he became the Senate historian and held that post until his retirement in 2015.
Ritchie was responsible for editing the closed hearing transcripts of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's investigations, and has authored a number of books including Electing FDR. His book Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents won him the Richard W. Leopold Prize of the Organization of American Historians.