It comes as no surprise that a lot of political figures are notoriously unpopular, and rightfully so, too. History has been riddled with despotic tyrants and sociopaths. Many of them are just downright venal and cupid, too. Still, there have been a lot of influential political figures in history. Who is one or who are some you hold in high regard?
Robert F. Kennedy would be one of mine. He played an incremental role during the Cuban Missile Crisis and just did not conform to the status-quo at the time. They were many unstable men in government during the JFK administration - many of which who would go to zealous lengths to get what they wanted. Kennedy spent a lot of his time 'fighting them off', which was imperative considering what was happening in the world at the time.
Another would be Voltaire, whose political writings helped shaped post-revolution France.