Responding to another post, discovered that Ike hated JFK, LBJ, McArthur, Truman but most of all...

[Horse with no Name]

1. Senator Joseph McCarthy,

Republican Senator from Wisconsin 1947-57
Eisenhower loathed McCarthy and the ruthless tactics of his communist witch hunt. He considered the senator to be a hate-filled, power-hungry thug who would go to any lengths for publicity. He was particularly exasperated when McCarthy began to investigate the Army for communists and subpoenaed White House personnel.

This guy McCarthy is going to get into trouble over this. I'm not going to take this one lying down… He's ambitious. He wants to be President. He's the last guy in the whole world who'll ever get there, if I have anything to say.

James Hagerty Diary Feb. 25, 1954

Interesting reading out of his diaries...

http://www.nps.gov/features/eise/jrranger/5accomp4X.htm

[struggle4progress]

1. If so, he didn't do anything about McCarthy for a long long time

[smaug]

2. Had to wait until he seriously overreached

Then the hammer came down. He completely alienated his fellow travelers, and Joe Welch's standing up to him in open hearing destroyed his power, in about 10 seconds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy#Army.E2.80.93McCarthy_hearings

It's one of the best newsreels you'll ever see.

It's also a reason why Bill Falefel OLielly insists on being able to cut off the microphone on his smarter guests.... he doesn't want to get McCarthy'ed.

[Horse with no Name]

3. He actually lists that as one of his failures

2. He Failed to Denounce Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Had he publicly condemned McCarthy and his investigations, there would have been much less damage inflicted on innocent lives and the country's morale. But Eisenhower believed that to personally confront McCarthy would demean the Presidency and give McCarthy exactly what he craved: more publicity.

[Brother Buzz]

4. Eisenhower wasn't all that enamored with Earl Warren, either

I'm just saying.

[coalition_unwilling]

5. IIRC, Ike turned decisively against McCarthy after McCarthy turned his attention to

figures inside Ike's own administration. (Can't remember the names off-hand.) Thus, the Army-McCarthy hearings gave Ike a chance to bring McCarthy down, a take-down all the sweeter since McCarthy was going after both Ike's White House and his beloved Army.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Todays version of Tail Gunner Joe is

Michelle Bachman or Pete King. Growing up in Wisconsin at this time,do remember Old Joe making his Commie Tours around the state. Best part,the F--er had a Drinking problem,talk about a wordsmith,all of the people would be head bobbin as he spoke. What a fake.

[LiberalAndProud]

7. He was the prototype for the modern Republican party.

I have noticed that some have even tried to resuscitate McCarthy's reputation.

It is odd that 34% (+/- a point) seems to be the nadir of political popularity. It seems there is a contingent that cannot be moved in every generation, facts be damned.