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63. McCarthy was also an influence

Yes, he was discredited (I'm sure Eisenhower was horrified at what he did, but didn't know how to publicly disavow him). But he still has his defenders even to this day.

One ironic thing: McCarthy would have gotten nowhere today. Imagine Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart fact-checking every ridiculous claim McCarthy made the moment he made it!

Most great civilizations rot from within before they fall to pressure from without. Infighting and the success of extremists always points to a weakness exploited by clever people with no conscience. I see everything from Nixon's Dirty Tricks Team to Republican-programmed electronic voting machines on up to Citizens United as part of this.

Like the old saying goes, all that is needed for evil men to triumph is for good men to do nothing. So far (and this bastion may also crumble one day if it should fall into "our" hands), the Supreme Court has been the last line of defense. Sure, there has been the occasional nut case out there saying they will not obey the Supreme Court if they rule the "wrong" way, but they don't run things in America. Not yet, anyway. So, as long as the Court's word IS law, I see us getting nowhere until we make the Republican-installed majority into a minority. What use is a Voting Rights Act if the Court says it is invalid? What use are campaign contribution limits if the Court says they can be circumvented?

Barring incredible advances in medical technology, there will be vacancies on the Supreme Court in the next few years. In ANY other westernized country, a group of third-rate entertainers like Trump, Carson and Rubio wouldn't even merit coverage beyond sketches on comedy shows. Somehow, in the good old USA, they are currently the top 3 contenders for the nomination of one of the two major political parties. Any one of them would get over 40% of the vote, too.

"What will it take to fix this country," indeed?

Some will predictably and angrily trash me for my answer, but I think that the first thing we have to do is vote, come hell or high water (in Florida and SC, not just an expression any more, either) for our nominee. What our national fate will ultimately hinge on isn't whether it's Bernie (no, he's NOT unelectable), Hillary (no, she's NOT an evil "corporatist," whatever that is supposed to mean), or O'Malley, (no, it's NOT impossible he could suddenly surge if the other two falter). What our fate will depend on is making sure people like Trump, Carson, or Rubio do NOT EVER get to appoint members of the Supreme Court--AND that the Democratic President and Attorney General take seriously their sworn obligation to enforce the decisions of a liberal majority on the Court, and tolerate NO flouting or violation of the rights we are supposed to have had since 1787.