In politics, demagoguery is usually used by a speaker to persuade an audience with propaganda rather than the quality of the argument. Demagoguery refers to the political strategy that appeals to an audience’s emotions and prejudices with certain characteristics and elements. In junior Senator Joseph R. McCarthy’s speech to the American public, he used demagoguery to appeal to the American audience on the wrongdoings and undermining communist actions of Edward R. Murrow, the Educational Director of the Columbia Broadcasting System to the United States’s democratic government. McCarthy’s audience in this scenario would be middle aged and older Americans who keep track of political news and reports. Patricia Roberts-Miller, an associate Professor
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Polarization is described by Roberts-Miller as a black or white, binary viewpoint in which there is a good in group and an evil out group. In this case, the in group consists of American such as himself who support our nation’s democracy run government. The out group consists of those like Murrow who occupy high government positions and infiltrate the system to spread and promote communism. McCarthy says, “what do the Communists think of me? And what do the Communists think of Mr. Murrow? One of us is on the side of the Communists; the other is against the Communists, against Communist slavery.” This implies that there are two options and viewpoints to the situation and one must side with the good or the bad side. This black and white viewpoint implicated by McCarthy’s argument appeals to his older audience’s prejudice because it forces them to think about what is considered good and bad and to side with their natural instincts. His audience supports democracy and is influenced to view communism and the movement to spread communism from Russia to the United States through the infiltration of our democratic system as evil. Since McCarthy wants his audience to side with the in group, they are automatically against the out group, which may lead to the demonization of that
Polarization is described by Roberts-Miller as a black or white, binary viewpoint in which there is a good in group and an evil out group. In this case, the in group consists of American such as himself who support our nation’s democracy run government. The out group consists of those like Murrow who occupy high government positions and infiltrate the system to spread and promote communism. McCarthy says, “what do the Communists think of me? And what do the Communists think of Mr. Murrow? One of us is on the side of the Communists; the other is against the Communists, against Communist slavery.” This implies that there are two options and viewpoints to the situation and one must side with the good or the bad side. This black and white viewpoint implicated by McCarthy’s argument appeals to his older audience’s prejudice because it forces them to think about what is considered good and bad and to side with their natural instincts. His audience supports democracy and is influenced to view communism and the movement to spread communism from Russia to the United States through the infiltration of our democratic system as evil. Since McCarthy wants his audience to side with the in group, they are automatically against the out group, which may lead to the demonization of that