What Americans Can Learn From the Lance Armstrong Lie
Armstrong Stole the Tour. Democrats Are Stealing Elections.
In October of 1996 a professional cyclist named Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with late stage prostate cancer, which had spread to his lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes and even brain. There was a good chance that he might die. Armstrong beat the cancer and emerged a hero.
Then, in the summer of 1999, Armstrong won the Tour de France for the first time and became a legend. He went on to win the Tour seven consecutive times and with each victory he also won over the hearts and minds of millions of fans throughout the world. He became not only the greatest cyclist in world history but also one of the most famous men alive. Armstrong was an inspiration.
While rumors and accusations of cheating swirled around him throughout his historic run, virtually everyone refused to believe them—they were dismissed as false allegations and those making them were repeatedly attacked and smeared. Armstrong, himself, denied them, and attacked those who made them.
But as we all know today, Armstrong did cheat. In hindsight, it was obvious.
Prior to Armstrong’s battle with cancer, he had competed in the Tour twice and never came close to winning. In fact, in 1993—his first Tour—he dropped out and didn’t even finish. And in 1995—his second Tour—Armstrong came in 36th place.
But by the time the allegations began to surface—intensifying with each victory—fans around the world had already attached themselves to the myth. People refused to believe them because they didn’t want to believe them. Americans in particular had even fused a part of their own identity to Armstrong. He was their hero and champion and his victory was their victory. It gave them pride.
His success was good for cycling—for the business, too. Lance Armstrong was cycling. There was a financial interest in maintaining and upholding this fantasy. If true—that Lance had cheated—it would do untold damage to cycling itself and jeopardize the growing empire. Cycling businesses and companies would suffer. No-one wanted to face the very real consequences that would ensue.
Armstrong, himself, knew this better than anyone else. He had the most to lose—fame, fortune, power, influence, and reputation; all were at stake. He brilliantly, if not insidiously, exploited the faith, love, and hope of millions of people to maintain the dangerous charade; even gaslighting those who dared question the narrative.
After winning his seventh consecutive Tour, he used his victory speech to gaslight the world and get away with what he’d done. It was a gaslighting masterclass.
“Finally”, Armstrong said from the podium, “the last thing I'll say to the people who don't believe in cycling, the cynics and the skeptics: I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry that you can't dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race. This is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe it. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets — this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it. So Vive le Tour forever!”
There stood a man, who knowingly cheated his way to victory seven consecutive times, and had the cojones to lecture and demonize the very men and women who had been right. It was demagoguery at its finest. It was effective. You weren’t questioning Lance when you questioned his integrity, you were attacking the sport of cycling itself, all cyclists, and the fans around the world who were inspired by the miracle that was Armstrong—a miracle that wasn’t true.
This is what Democrats are doing to America. Americans cling desperately to some idea of ‘democracy.’ Our existence as a nation is as miraculous and inspiring as Armstrong’s victory over cancer. But Democrats have cheated their way to power through the similar promulgation of their own mythological story.
A Party that fought to uphold slavery and then Jim Crow would have the world believe that they became champions of blacks and progress in America—a lie I call the ‘myth of the Big Switch’ in my election year book America’s Last Stand.
At present they claim to be the champions and defenders of ‘democracy’—even as they recently replaced their own Presidential nominee, who went through the democratic primary process, with Vice President Kamala Harris, who never received a single vote.
But more importantly, the Democrats cheat in elections. They did so in 2020 and are doing so again in 2024. But countless Americans and especially Democrat voters refuse to believe the allegations and even ignore the evidence. Like Armstrong’s once adoring fans throughout the world, those who vehemently deny Democrat election cheating have attached themselves to the mythological tale that Democrats are the saviors and defenders of ‘democracy.’
It’s bad for business, too, should the truth of their cheating be accepted. It would not only destroy the Democrat Party brand but would also do irrevocable harm to America, itself. Our credibility would be destroyed. Those in the media and elsewhere would lose immense power and wealth as a result. There’s big money in supporting the Democrat Party.
Like Armstrong, Democrat politicians are heroes to millions. These Americans take pride in Democrat victory just as Americans took pride in Armstrong victories. When a Democrat wins, these supporters win. And so they can’t believe it. They won’t.
Allegations of Democrat cheating have swirled around the country since Biden’s improbable victory in 2020. Those who make the allegations are similarly attacked and smeared.
Democrats know they stand the most to lose if the truth is accepted. Their power, wealth, credibility, influence and reputation are on the line. And so they stand before the American people as Armstrong did from the podium and gaslight the nation, as if to say:
“The last thing I'll say to the people who don't believe in American democracy, the cynics and the skeptics: I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry that you can't dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a country. This is a great country and you should stand around and believe in it. You should believe in elections, and you should believe in Americans. I'll be a fan of America for as long as I live. And there are no secrets — this is a hard competition and hard work wins it. So Vive America!”
There a Party stands, which knowingly cannot win a Presidential election without cheating, with the cojones to lecture and demonize the very men and women who want election integrity; who want to believe in America and who are right about what Democrats are doing. But its effective. Demagoguery at its finest. And when you question American election integrity, you too are attacking America itself, all Americans, and the men and women around the world who are inspired by the miracle of the Democrat Party—a miracle that isn’t true.