during World War II. La Follette was in his mid-forties during World War II, but that fact did not make a difference during the campaign. The smear tactics were successful, as McCarthy narrowly won the Republican nomination.
             On January 3, 1947, Joseph R. McCarthy would officially take the office of United States Senator after defeating Democratic nominee Howard McMurray by a landslide. After taking office, McCarthy would fail to do much in his first few years, and would be seen as one of the worst Senators in office. One major stance that McCarthy took was the fight against domestic Communism. The end of World War II increased the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. The development of nuclear weapons and the threat of spies caused many Americans to live in fear. The threat of domestic Communism was a high priority post-World War II. During the 1948 Republican Presidential nomination, the 1944 Republican Presidential nominee Thomas E. Dewey placed the issue of domestic Communism at the forefront. Harold Stassen, another Republican nominee, took a more direct approach towards Communism. At the time, McCarthy was still a very junior Senator. After partnering with Stassen, the two would be at the forefront of the battle against domestic Communism. During the campaign McCarthy learned from Stassen, and assisted him in his attempt to become the Republican Presidential candidate.2 The relationship between the two would not last long. After Stassen lost the nomination to Dewey, and with the knowledge obtained from Stassen, McCarthy began to promote his own agendas. Stassen did not agree with the McCarthy's new policies, and he publicly criticized McCarthy multiple times after the two ended their partnership. In 1952, McCarthy chose to back Republican Presidential candidate Robert A. Taft.
             After winning the Republican nomination in 1948, a group of volunteer advisors, named "Operation Polecat," were asse...