Who Will Lance Armstrong Endorse Today?

[CatBO]

It seems that every post today about Lance Armstrong has started with a question or an inaccuracy, and has turned into a big pile-on for people who don't know the facts to repeat gossip, rumor and innuendo and then slam Lance Armstrong.

I figured I'd start a thread with the actual facts, so at least they don't get lost among the lies.

1. Lance Armstrong did not endorse McCain today. Armstrong invited both McCain and Obama to participate in this four-day event, but Obama had to decline because he was overseas.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-07-23-armstrong-mccain_N.htm
"The event is part of a four-day summit on cancer held by the Lance Armstrong Foundation at Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital."
"Democrat Barack Obama also was invited but declined because of his week-long overseas trip."

2. Armstrong is not a right-winger, or at least he does not self identify as one.
Source1: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/17/211134/814
DailyKos diary cites OLN interview: "Today on OLN it turns out he's a Democrat! "Left of center, against the war in Iraq, and pro-choice" were the notable comments."
Source2: http://billhobbs.com/2003/07/lance_armstrong_and_iraq.html
Quoting Sally Jenkins, the woman who co-authored Lance's autobiography, regarding Lance's friendship with George Bush:"They are friends and both are loyal sons of Texas and both are amicable, swaggering smart alecks, but Lance is deeply self-educated and his politics are different. For instance, he's in favor of choice and gun control. And he opposed the Iraq War."

3. Lance's split from his first wife seems to be amicable and mutual. While many people can speculate that he "left her" or "cheated on her" neither he or Kristin Armstrong have said or implied this.
Source (ed. note: tragically the best source seems to be from the Rachel Ray show, because it's an actual interview): http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/kristin-armstrong-on-surviving-divorce/
"That was huge for me, to get past the feeling of failure. It's important for them, and he and I need that too. We need to know that love is unconditional or otherwise you're left broken and that's not good enough."
If you really care in your heart of hearts about Kristin's feelings on the marriage you can go buy her book: Happily Ever After: Walking with Peace and Courage Through a Year of Divorce - Kristin Armstrong

4. Lance did not leave Sheryl Crowe after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was not diagnosed until after their split, and in fact he called her and supported her through her diagnosis and treatment.
Source1: http://marriage.about.com/cs/celebritymarriages/a/lancekristin.htm
Source2: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2006-06-28-armstong_x.htm
"He was emotionally rocked by her subsequent battle with breast cancer. "When I heard of her diagnosis, it hit me harder than when I got my diagnosis," he says.

There are many other things that people have said which may be true, and which I don't disagree with.

- Many people say he's an arrogant jerk. - I think there's an innate level of arrogance that he has. 7 TdF wins doesn't help the ego either.

- He's been linked in the past with Ashley Olsen. (Definite lapse of judgment in my opinion.)

- He's been linked with other Hollywood women.

And here are some other facts:

- He survived cancer, with worse odds than just about anyone

- He has become an advocate for cancer survivorship and has helped countless cancer survivors handle reintegration back into their life after remission

- He flat out refuses to pander to one political party or another, preferring instead to engage both sides of the political spectrum for his cause. Is he being opportunistic in this? Yes, because the Lance Armstrong Foundation is his highest priority.

Thanks and flame away.

:popcorn:

[dhill926]

1. Thanks for this....n/t

[niyad]

2. and he chose to ignore camp casey, and go bike riding with der chimpenfuhrer. tells me everything I

need to know about him.

[Hippo_Tron]

6. Okay lets say Lance Armstrong had acknowledged Camp Casey

What would it have done to help stop the war? Absolutely nothing. And if he had acknowledged Camp Casey, conservatives wouldn't have given him the time of day when he asked for money for cancer research.

Lance is incredibly effective at raising money for cancer research and no more effective than you or I would be at helping to stop the war or pretty much any other political cause. It makes no sense for him to take up other political causes when it will only diminish the one issue that he can be effective on.

[CatBO]

7. That will likely not get a response...

*chirp*

[Hippo_Tron]

9. Of course not, because you can't be self righteous...

While simultaneously admitting that you are not morally superior to those who don't protest the war.

[RichardRay]

10. Really? That's absolutely all you need to know?

That's both necessary and sufficient for you to form an opinion?

Just wanted to check....

[blm]

3. Appreciate your effort.

Hope it sticks.

[Algorem]

4. Shouldn't his name be Lance Legstrong?

[CatBO]

5. LOL

OK ... I wasn't planning on replying to anything much in this thread since I said my piece in the first post but that's a good one. :clap: :clap:

[ileus]

8. Cadel Evens