Echos of Henry Wallace smear in opposition to Bernie

Folks from right to moderately left are lining up to derail through fear and smear the democratic socialist campaign of Bernie Sanders. To them, he's not promoting drastically needed structural changes to elevate the tens of millions shut out from rapacious capitalism benefiting the upper 10%. He's a godless communist out of touch with the American miracle that trickles down to the lowest rung of society, making America the Shining City on the Hill.

The Bernie pushback brings to mind Henry Wallace, the greatest visionary of 20th century America who was shoved out of the vice presidency in 1944, denying him the presidency upon the death of FDR, and changing America and the world for the worse.

Who's Henry Wallace, you might ask? Sadly, he's been largely written out of the American Story told to succeeding generations of Americans by the protectors of the American Myth. Born in 1888 to an affluent Iowa Republican farm family, Wallace increased family wealth with his Hi-Bred Corn Company. But the Depression turned Wallace into an zealous champion of the common man, landing him the Secretary of Agriculture post in FDR's first term. Possibly the most effective New Dealer, Wallace championed the broken American farmer using curtailed production and price supports to ameliorate catastrophic rural poverty. His unbridled democratic socialism of the 30's garnered him FDR's reverence and the 1940 third term vice presidency.

Wallace transformed the vice presidency for the good, long before Dick Cheney transformed it for evil. FDR made him what journalists tabbed the 'Assistant President' in his role mobilizing war production during WWII and championing FDR's vision for a truly peaceful post WWII world working in partnership with critical war ally Russia, and ending European colonialism in Asia and Africa. In 1942 he gave his famous "Common Man" speech, declaring the 20th century must celebrate the common man, not just, as Time publisher Henry Luce postured, only America. In 1943, he joined with the black community following the Detroit race riot, arguing "We cannot crush Nazi brutality abroad and condone race riots at home."

His near FDR like popularity made him a lock for VP on the '44 Democratic ticket, but party leaders abhorred his unvarnished progressivism and willingness to partner with godless Russia. They closed the late night convention session that would have nominated Wallace for a second term; then made deals with the other candidates to move the acceptable Harry Truman from last to first in the final VP tally.

Three months into term four, FDR died, Truman became president and the Cold War was on due to Truman's capitulation to the neo-conservatives of his day who demanded a fresh enemy to keep the newly emerged Military-Industrial Complex in business. The chance for a truly peaceful post WWII world was irrevocably lost.

The hardliners had won out over Wallace. He launched a 3rd party progressive campaign in 1948 to unseat Truman, but the red smears and personal attacks on his progressive philosophy doomed him to just 3% of the '48 vote, ending his career.

Seventy-one years on we see a bit of the anti Wallace hysteria directed at Bernie. There may be 21 Dems in the field but only one is speaking directly to my progressive ideals with authenticity and courage that earns my vote. And up in political heaven I'll bet he's got the vote of Henry Wallace as well.