David Frost, December 19, 1925 (New York, NY) -
VP candidate for Peace Freedom Alternative (aka Peace-Freedom Alliance Party) (1968)
Running mate with nominee: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
Popular vote: 8084 (0.01%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
After his unsuccessful run for Mayor of Chicago in 1967 as an independent, comedian and activist Dick Gregory wanted another shot at elected office and decided to run for President as an outsider. As he said in an interview during the 1968 campaign, "I feel the two-party system is obsolete. The two-party system is so corrupt and immoral that it cannot solve the problems confronting the masses of people in this country. I did agree to accept the nomination in various states from independent organizations who had already had a position on the ballot and this why I have accepted."
Gregory ran in several states as a write-in or sometimes showed up on the ballot itself, under the banner of multiple political parties, with various running mates. No matter what the platform of the party he was using as a vehicle, Dick Gregory was still Dick Gregory.
When the newly created Peace and Freedom Party held their first chaotic convention, Dick Gregory was outvoted in the nomination process by Black Panther Party leader Eldridge Cleaver. In New Jersey Gregory was run under the newly created Peace Freedom Alternative name, with anti-war Democrat David Frost as his running mate. New Jersey was the only state where this ticket was presented.
If the newspapers of the era are any indication, Frost campaigned chiefly among college and university students.
The Gregory campaign placed 5th nationally (outpolling Cleaver) with 47,149 popular votes (0.06%). The Gregory/Frost ticket earned 8084 (0.28%) popular votes in the Garden State.
Election history:
1966 - US Senate (NJ) (Democratic) - primary - defeated
Other occupations: research biologist, Rutgers science professor, science and medical editor, Chairman of NJ SANE (Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy)
Notes:
As of this writing Mr. Frost appears to not only be among the living, but also still quite active in contributing to his community in Plainfield, NJ.
