Final answer:
Fear of becoming a target of McCarthy's tactics led many to support or fail to oppose him, despite the lack of evidence behind his accusations, leading to an atmosphere where dissent was conflated with disloyalty. Not many prominent figures were willing to challenge McCarthy, but those who did, like Edward Murrow and Arthur Miller, contributed to the eventual public fatigue with McCarthy's methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
McCarthy can be considered the main reason for most of the support for his actions arising from the fear of McCarthy himself because of his powerful position and the fear-mongering tactics he employed. The fear of McCarthyism was so pervasive that few wanted to risk becoming targets of his accusations, which could be career-ending or worse.
Joseph McCarthy utilized the strategy of making vague and unsubstantiated accusations, often without evidence, which put individuals and politicians on the defensive, leading them to support him or at least refrain from openly opposing him. This created an environment where the blurring of dissent and disloyalty made many avoid sponsoring progressive legislation for fear of being labeled as 'socialist' or unpatriotic.
Even ones in high office such as President Eisenhower avoided confronting McCarthy, and only a handful of prominent figures like journalist Edward Murrow and playwright Arthur Miller indirectly challenged the Senator's tactics. McCarthy ultimately undermined himself by continuing to press accusations without credible evidence, leading to growing public fatigue and questioning of his methods.
McCarthy's downfall came when his accusations reached the U.S. Army, culminating in the televised Army-McCarthy Hearings which allowed the public to witness his tactics firsthand, leading to his censure by the U.S. Senate and the end of his political career.