(Retro) Who Am I? - August 16, 2010

Found this on Craigslist of all places - and I'm not sure exactly who the person is they're talking about. Three answers were given and based on my own research and readings over the years, any or all of the answers given fit. So here you go and see if you can figure out who this iconic historical figure is...

I'll put the answers given in the comments section.

Who Am I?


I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women...

I became very close to my mother,
as my father showed no interest in me.
My mother died at an early age from cancer.

Later in life, questions arose over my real name.

My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.

I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult,
disguising myself as someone who really cared about them.

That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career.

I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had
difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child.

I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s.

They said I had a golden tongue
and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit.

I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history,
and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.

I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances.
This bolstered my ego.

At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy.

I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country.

But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy.

I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better
and every poor person would be fed & housed for free.

I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations.

I decided to start making citizens hate them and if they were envious of others who did well,
the plan was clinched tight.

I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.

I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside
the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread
popular support.

I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope', together we could change our country and the world.

So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities."

My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader.

I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with.

I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world.

And the world learned the truth.

Who Am I?

And the answer is either Karl Marx, Barack Obama or Adolph Hitler - take your pick....