Editing Ralph Nader (section)

==== 1972 ====
[[File:Draft Ralph Nader 1972 button.png|thumb|right|100px|Campaign button from the 1972 effort to draft Nader to be the candidate for the New Party]]
Ralph Nader's name appeared in the press as a potential candidate for president for the first time in 1971, when he was offered the opportunity to run as the presidential candidate for the [[People's Party (United States, 1971)|New Party]], a progressive split-off from the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in 1972. Chief among his advocates was author [[Gore Vidal]], who touted a 1972 Nader presidential campaign in a front-page article in ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine in 1971.<ref name="The Best Man/'72"/> Psychologist [[Rockway Institute|Alan Rockway]] organized a "draft Ralph Nader for President" campaign in Florida on the New Party's behalf.<ref>{{cite news |title=Coalition Party Opens Conference |newspaper=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]] |date=October 2, 1971 |pages=2A }}</ref> Nader declined their offer to run that year; the New Party ultimately joined with the [[People's Party (United States, 1970s)|People's Party]] in running [[Benjamin Spock]] in the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="Justin Martin 2002"/><ref>Gore Vidal. "The Best Man /'72: Ralph Nader Can Be President of the US." ''Esquire'', June 1971.</ref> Spock had hoped Nader in particular would run, getting "some of the loudest applause of the evening" when mentioning him at the [[University of Alabama]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Spock Shares Youths' Views |author=Smithey, Waylon |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |date=September 23, 1971 |page=2 }}</ref> Spock went on to try to recruit Nader for the party among over 100 others, and indicated he would be "delighted" to be replaced by any of them even after he accepted the nomination himself.<ref>{{cite news |title=People's Party Nominates Dr. Spock for President |newspaper=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]] |date=November 29, 1971 |pages=B5 }}</ref> Nader received one vote for the vice-presidential nomination at the [[1972 Democratic National Convention#Delegate vote for vice-presidential nomination|1972 Democratic National Convention]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=59902&ShowAllCand=Y | title=Our Campaigns - US Vice President - D Convention Race - Jul 10, 1972 }}</ref>