Who is the most misunderstood politician of recent years?

[Cubby]

I'd probably argue that Pim Fortuyn would fit that bill perfectly. Every article I see that mentions him treats him like essentially the Danish Dutch Pat Buchanan, when nothing could possibly be further from the truth.

If Pim Fortuyn was even remotely like Pat Buchanan, I never would have liked him.

He's the Dutch Harvey Milk, except at a more national level than City Supervisor.

[Cubby]

He would be, if Harvey Milk were a hatemonger.

Touche       I usually find that phrase annoying, but it fits here

What an ignorance. First of all, Dutch gays didn't need Harvey Milk to be pathmaker, giving the social climate in this country.

Second of all, was Harvey Milk operating an xenophobic and racist slogans in his campaign, huh?

I am not proud of liking a politician who went around disparaging groups of people. My only reason for liking him was that at the time (2002), I thought he would/could be Prime Minister, and that having a gay prime minister was a huge achievement. If he was just a member of parliament, then there would have been nothing special about him b/c as you said, Holland is a tolerant place. I was comparing the two because Milk was the first openly gay politician in the US, and Fortuyn (may have been) the first openly gay national leader. It doesn't mean I support everything both of them ever did.

Another misunderstood politician: Howard Dean. He was more centrist than people knew. He had an "A" rating from the NRA. But he is usually portrayed as a far leftist.