If we could go back in time and see that Dr. Spock never published, the country would be a better place.
Stupid had kids, and each generation has gotten worse.
Spock was often quoted publicly as being against spanking. If you read his book, what he actually said was that he didn't like spanking, but spanking was definitely better than putting a guilt trip on a child.
Look at the people who are generally against spanking, and what do they do? They try to guilt-trip everyone. Especially their kids.
I think that is why Spock has "faded" from the public consciousness. He was useful to the Left for a while, but he had to be relegated to the dust bin before anyone looked too closely.