The Old Guard Republicans in the Senate shared many of McCarthy’s prejudices and fears and were sympathetic to his brand of reactionary, isolationist, conspiracy-laden, communist-obsessed, vulgar populism. Eisenhower might have had a stronger hand to play if Majority Leader Taft had not died of cancer in July 1953, just six months after the new administration took office. Taft, though ideologically at odds with Eisenhower, had played a crucial role in salvaging the Bohlen nomination and could have helped at least keep McCarthy in check. Unfortunately Taft’s successor was William Knowland, a
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