Armstrong's propaganda war.

BikingBernie

Armstrong has long been a master of manipulating the public mind via the Internet and media, from his 'revisionist' accounts of the Simeoni incident to blacklisting journalists, ensuring that material critical of him is erased from the Internet and ensuring that his libel threats and his claim to be undertaking an transparent dope testing program received maximum public exposure - before quietly doing nothing.

Given his previous history how far do people think that Armstrong's camp will go in their attempts to attempt to discredit the current Federal investigation and those who give evidence?

Two threads have just been erased that, as Iain pointed out, read as though they were the product of an 'Astroturfing' campaign by a company such as Public Strategies.

"Kléber" also noted that 'If a public relations agency is going in to bat for Armstrong on forums it only ends up making Lance look shifty...'

I would say that Armstrong's lawyer, Tim Herman, is already doing a good job of doing this by virtue of his Ad hominem attacks on those speaking out about Armstrong's doping, calling the investigation a 'witch-hunt' and a waste of public money and so on. His tactics are clearly directed at appealing to 'unthinking bovine America' (© Bill Hicks) rather than addressing the issues themselves.

Just how dirty will Armstrong's propaganda war become?

Kléber

Anyone who didn't view the forum before 10am will be wondering what all this is about. But overnight a new forum member called "Chapeau" posted two new topics, both juvenile attempts to smear Greg LeMond, big up Lance Armstrong and to undermine the Novitzky investigation.

The arguments could be shredded within seconds but instead of rebuttal, some of us just pointed out that this could be "corporate trolling", a PR campaign using shill posts designed to stir up animosity.

I'd certainly like to know if the smearing of Lemond was orchestrated. Circumstantial evidence suggests it's possible but it's been done in such a crap way as to backfire within minutes, to the point where you think no company would dare to be associated with such daft practices.

daviesee

BikingBernie wrote:

Armstrong has long been a master of manipulating the public mind via the Internet and media, from his 'revisionist' accounts of the Simeoni incident to blacklisting journalists, ensuring that material critical of him is erased from the Internet and ensuring that his libel threats and his claim to be undertaking an transparent dope testing program received maximum public exposure - before quietly doing nothing.

Given his previous history how far do people think that Armstrong's camp will go in their attempts to attempt to discredit the current Federal investigation and those who give evidence?

Two threads have just been erased that, as Iain pointed out, read as though they were the product of an 'Astroturfing' campaign by a company such as Public Strategies.

"Kléber" also noted that 'If a public relations agency is going in to bat for Armstrong on forums it only ends up making Lance look shifty...'

I would say that Armstrong's lawyer, Tim Herman, is already doing a good job of doing this by virtue of his Ad hominem attacks on those speaking out about Armstrong's doping, calling the investigation a 'witch-hunt' and a waste of public money and so on. His tactics are clearly directed at appealing to 'unthinking bovine America' (© Bill Hicks) rather than addressing the issues themselves.

Just how dirty will Armstrong's propaganda war become?

Wondered what Tiger Tim was up to these days

Oh...........

iainf72

It's most likely this mob, if it is orchestrated

http://www.pstrategies.com/

calvjones

n this environment, companies must build authentic relationships with their public audiences in order to transform their corporate reputation into competitive advantage.

Authentic? Hmm...

In my darkest days I still give thanks I don't have to work in a tosspot organisation like this.

mroli

Or if we're working on the conspiracy theory tip - perhaps it was Biking Bernie who posted under an alias, so he could then post this rebuttal? Or perhaps it was the PR company who posted, knowing that it would be taken down, but aware that the story would be kept going by an enraged poster. Or.. Actually, my brain hurts.

I think I might just wait for the outcome of the investigation.... 8)

mididoctors

never attribute to conspiracy what can equally be explained as retarded fcukwittery...or words to that effect


I can easily imagine some fanbois being self motivated by unwarranted self importance to just come up with this stuff

mididoctors

mroli wrote:

Or if we're working on the conspiracy theory tip - perhaps it was Biking Bernie who posted under an alias, so he could then post this rebuttal? Or perhaps it was the PR company who posted, knowing that it would be taken down, but aware that the story would be kept going by an enraged poster. Or.. Actually, my brain hurts.

I think I might just wait for the outcome of the investigation.... 8)

frenchfighter

That would be the first I have heard of organisations coming onto forums to defend cyclists.

Funnily enough I have the original post up in a tab right now as I hadn't got round to reading it.

I read this very long four part article on Le Mond's defaillance. It was rather interesting.

Kléber

mididoctors wrote:

never attribute to conspiracy what can equally be explained as retarded fcukwittery...or words to that effect

Exactly, especially since the posts were so weak, the arguments were as watertight as a sieve. A carefully crafted conspiracy would surely be better planned?

Nevertheless, the similarity of postings across forums is interesting, as is the practice of registering just to post this bull. But that's just circumstantial.

jimmythecuckoo

Did anyone save down the posts?

Pokerface

^

---

or have links to them still existing on another forum?

frenchfighter

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

Did anyone save down the posts?

Pokerface wrote:

^

---

or have links to them still existing on another forum?

frenchfighter wrote:

Funnily enough I have the original post up in a tab right now as I hadn't got round to reading it.

dg74

Yeah I'd love to read what was said in the threads.

email me if anyone has 'em, please.


dgladstone74@gmail.com

Thanks.

RichN95.

dg74,

The main posting still exists on cyclingforums.com in the doping section. It's really not worth reading though.

Pross

I got through the first couple of points before giving up. I've never read such a tedious and derranged post!

Pokerface

To be fair, not everyone out there who loves Lance has seen the 'evidence' against him and has had the benefit of a BikingBernie education on the subject.

I can see how some people would believe in the Armstrong story and be incensed by Landis' allegations.

It is a bit of a rant, but not as crazy as some I have seen! I was expecting much worse.

rprodgers

C'mon Bikingbernie you've just orchestrated all of this for a bit of fun

AidanR

Corporate conspiracies seem a bit far fetched - it's not like there aren't a million Lance fanboys lapping up his every word and willing to regurgitate it online.

My favourite conspiracy, though, is that this is all a cunningly orchestrated plan by BB

Homer J

^^ I think you two guys could be right. Lets face it, seeing that LA won't be headlining any races of interest how else is BB, FF going to keep their obession rolling

Gazzaputt

Pokerface wrote:

To be fair, not everyone out there who loves Lance has seen the 'evidence' against him and has had the benefit of a BikingBernie education on the subject.

I can see how some people would believe in the Armstrong story and be incensed by Landis' allegations.

It is a bit of a rant, but not as crazy as some I have seen! I was expecting much worse.

I've read mostly all the 'evidence' but unfortunately I have more pressing issues that affect my life.

Until there is positive test with his name written on it or he confesses for me there is no case. I believe like all riders he pushed the boundaries.

frenchfighter

Homer J wrote:

how else is BB, FF going to keep their obession rolling

Wrong.

If you scroll through my last 1000 posts or so as far as you can maintain interest, you will see that there is a very small amount about Lance and that would likely be unrelated to doping in any case.

I think you need to look at the people who post on these doping threads on a regular basis rather than try and bring me into it.

jimmythecuckoo

RichN95 wrote:

The main posting still exists on cyclingforums.com in the doping section. It's really not worth reading though.

sorry, I thought it was a deleted thread on here...

iainf72

Gazzaputt wrote:

Until there is positive test with his name written on it or he confesses for me there is no case. I believe like all riders he pushed the boundaries.

I'm curious, if it went to court and he was found guilty but without a confession or positive test, would you believe / accept it?

[I realise he won't go on trial for doping but fraud etc will hinge on doping]

RichN95.

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

The main posting still exists on cyclingforums.com in the doping section. It's really not worth reading though.

sorry, I thought it was a deleted thread on here...

They were threads on here and deleted, but they've been posted elsewhere too.

Homer J

frenchfighter wrote:

Homer J wrote:

how else is BB, FF going to keep their obession rolling

Wrong.

If you scroll through my last 1000 posts or so as far as you can maintain interest, you will see that there is a very small amount about Lance and that would likely be unrelated to doping in any case.

I think you need to look at the people who post on these doping threads on a regular basis rather than try and bring me into it.

lol, guess you might be right, BB has way superseded you on the LA stuff

jimmythecuckoo

RichN95 wrote:

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

The main posting still exists on cyclingforums.com in the doping section. It's really not worth reading though.

sorry, I thought it was a deleted thread on here...

They were threads on here and deleted, but they've been posted elsewhere too.

:?

secretsqirrel

Pah!

Went to get a picture to reply to Chapeau, come back, and he's gone!

Here it is anyway as I went to all that trouble........ :oops:

northernneil

well certainly looking on the other forum his posts dont seem to be a 'natural' impromptu replies, they seem highly 'scripted' .... I am suspicious

daviesee

Not wishing to defend or accuse anyone here, but......

Is it strange that there are many threads accusing Lance of doping but one comes up about Greg and it gets deleted?

You could see why some people might get uppitty.

The deleted post was a waste of time but then so is a high percentage of other posts :shock:

Monty Dog

Of course, this sudden resurgence of accusatory postings about Lemond - despite there has been no tangible evidence for over 20 years - have nothing to do with the fact that's he's been subpoenaed on the Novitsky investigation and there is the allegation that LA has 'offered' $300,000 for anyone to 'substantiate' those claims against Lemond. :roll:

My money's on MG as being Chapeau's alter-ego - after all, there's nothing else that the 'revisionists' or 'apologists' have been able to produce in response to the evidence. Perhaps MG has been a Public Strategies sleeper for all this while?