Explanation

Apologists are defenders — in this case, people who are trying to make the politician and strategist seem like a good guy. However, the clues “in his day” and the lack of interest among a “modern public” indicate that the politician’s views are outdated. Only passé and archaic match. (The accent mark on passé exists because the word came into English from French.)


Note that trap answer erroneous just means “wrong” and doesn’t really fit the clues, nor is it appropriate for discussing matters of culture and opinion.

Hence options passé, archaic are best fit!