What makes McCarthyism so hard to discuss is that McCarthy behaved like a jerk, but he was also right. Every movement has its jerks, the Left included — but liberals are unwilling to elevate these people to villain status or to make their tactics into a full-blown "ism." Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton are perfectly willing to accuse any Tom, Dick, or Harry of racism without regard to the damage this might do their careers. But we don't talk about "Jacksonism" or "Sharptonism," even though being labeled a racist is the modern equivalent of being labeled a Communist. Indeed, being a pr*ck has become something of a badge of honor on the Left." -- Jonah Goldberg