Fred W. Halstead (April 21, 1927 – June 2, 1988) was the Socialist Workers Party's candidate for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

. His running mate was Paul Boutelle. Halstead played a significant role in the movement against the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, outlined in his book ''Out Now!'' He also was a staff writer on '' The Militant'', the publication of the Socialist Workers Party. Halstead was a 6′6″, 350-pound ex–garment cutter who worked briefly as a bouncer in a country-and-western saloon in the 1950s, when he was on the

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

. On July 10, 1968, Halstead appeared on the political talk show '' Firing Line''.

Bibliography

* ''GIs Speak Out Against the War: The Case of the Ft. Jackson 8'' (1970) * ''Out Now!: A Participant's Account of the American Movement against the Vietnam War'' (1978) * ''What Working People Should Know About the Dangers of Nuclear Power'' (1979) * ''The 1985-86 Hormel Meat-Packers Strike in Austin, Minnesota'' (1987)

References

1927 births 1988 deaths Candidates in the 1968 United States presidential election Socialist Workers Party (United States) presidential nominees American anti–Vietnam War activists American Marxists American Trotskyists Socialist Workers Party (United States) politicians from California Activists from California {{California-politician-stub