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911 Roundtable

C2C 911 Roundtable Preview

6.12.5

After much anticipation, the time has arrived for Roundtable VI, or as C2C has come to call it, The 911 Roundtable. Unlike the Bigfoot Roundtable or the UFO Roundtable from earlier this year, this event is not merely a meeting of the minds in a related field. This Roundtable is not sprung upon the schedule without notice, it has been talked about for weeks and months.

Therefore, we begin this Roundtable Preview with the Background before delving into the players who will be a part of the 6th installment of the Coast to Coast theme episode. Covering a span of 3 months, and culminating in Thursday night's historic episode, I give you ... The 911 Roundtable Preview

The Background

The 911 Roundtable marks the culmination of a story that has enveloped Coast to Coast AM since March 5th, 2005, an infamous night in esoteric radio when Art Bell welcomed Benjamin Chertoff of Popular Mechanics to the show. The arrival of Chertoff was preceded by Bell making a vehement proclamation of his disgust with the 911 Truth Movement and those who support it. He famously labeled them "wingnuts". In his vitriol, he went so far as to say he didn't want them listening to the show.

Shockwaves went out throughout C2C's fanbase as well as esoterica as a whole. Alex Jones took to the airwaves the following Monday afternoon to take issue with attacks made against him. Jeff Rense, typically, let his audience support him and said little of the on-air attacks against him. George Noory, ever the diplomat, announced on C2C that Monday night, 3.7.2005, that he was putting together a special 911 Roundtable.

As the weeks and months went by, Noory combed the vast ranges of esoterica to find various points of view on the 911 story. He'd drop teasers of dates and potential guests. Callers would call into the Alex Jones show and demand to know when the 911 Roundtable would take place. Finally, after 3 months of secretive negotiations and shadowy rumour, the 911 Roundtable has arrived.

The Players

Peter Lance :: Investigative Reporter
Main Focus : Middle East Terrorism
Media : peterlance.com, 4 books.
Awards and Honors : 5 Emmy Awards, Masters Degree in Journalism from Columbia University
C2C Count : 2 in the last 2 years.
Last C2C Appearance : 4.18.2005

Jerry Corsi :: Spokesman and founder of the Iran Freedom Foundation
Main Focus : Terrorism and the Middle East
Media : atomiciran.com and iranfree.org
Awards and Honors : PhD from Harvard
C2C Count : 1 in the last 2 years.
Last C2C Appearance : 5.4.2005

David Ray Griffin :: Religion and Philosophy Professor
Main Focus : 911 Investigation
Media : The New Pearl Harbor and 3 other books.
Awards and Honors : Philosophy of Religion and Theology, Emeritus, at Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University
C2C Count : 0 in the last 2 years.
Last C2C Appearance : None

Alex Jones :: documentary film maker and talk show host
Main Focus : the Global New World Order takeover
Media : infowars.com, The Alex Jones Show, 11 Documentary Films
Awards and Honors : Winner of 5 Coastie Awards
C2C Count : 7 in the last 2 years.
Last C2C Appearance : 3.24.2005

Talking Points

* Despite being billed as a 911 Roundtable, this one looks to shape up as more of a "911 Debate", a point even C2C concedes with it's description of the episode : "Jerry Corsi and Peter Lance will team up against David Ray Griffin and Alex Jones to discuss whether Muslims acted alone on 9-11, or not. "

* An analysis of the pairings in this tag team showdown shows some cohesion on one side and some potential dissention on the other. The Corsi/Lance duo looks to be solidly in agreement that Middle Eastern terror was the source behind 911. Meanwhile, the Griffin/Alex Jones pairing may be in disagreement over the ultimate source of 911, i.e. globalists v. administration insiders.

* Griffin has appeared on the Alex Jones show previously (5.4.5). Jones praised his book, but questioned whether or not Griffin was in favor of a "world government".

* Jerri Corsi is a former government insider, possessing a Top Secret clearance with the Agency for International Development. He worked in anti-terrorism. He will surely use his experience there to show how terrorism in the sense of Middle Eastern-based, is quite real.

* Despite his low C2C count, Peter Lance cannot be underestimated with regards to his charisma. While not challenging Alex Jones in that department, he's surely the most charismatic member of his team.

* David Ray Griffin is esoterica's new golden boy with his appearance on C-SPAN last April. That said, he will have to work hard to emerge from the shadow of Alex Jones in their tandem.

* In the legendary Roundtable I, Alex Jones was notorious for throwing out endless plugs for his website and talking over the rest of the panel. Whether this trend continues on the 911 Roundtable remains to be seen.

* Moderator George Noory seems to be a big fan of Alex Jones. Noory's patience may be put to the test if Jones attempts to interrupt the other panelists when he disagrees with them.

* On that note, Jones is the most passionate of the four panelists, which will do a lot to sway the audience. Lance and or Corsi will have to turn it up a notch to keep up with Jones, lest the be swept away by his stream of facts and quotations.

* David Ray Griffin is making his debut on C2C with this episode. It is somewhat surprising that his book "The New Pearl Harbor", which is critically acclaimed in the 911 Truth Movement, has not warranted a previous appearance. Griffin's stamina will be tested in a 3 hour Roundtable and how he holds up may determine if he returns to C2C for a solo shot.

* With a four person roundtable there is always the chance for voice confusion. Jones has a strong, distinct voice, so that will not be a problem. Having listened to the voices of Corsi and Lance, there is a moderate chance for voice confusion, so be prepared for that. With sufficient time before the episode, those with access to C2C's archives can still listen to Corsi and Lance to get an idea of how they sound.

* Given the competitive nature of this episode, one assumes that C2C will be utilizing the "Fast Blast" voting process. My prediction for the final outcome is 75% for the Alex Jones/David Ray Griffin team and 25% for the Jerry Corsi/Peter Lance team.

* On some historic occasions, C2C takes the ultra rare step of going an extra hour, bringing the total to 5. If there is radio magic in the air, it wouldn't be shocking for the show to go the extra hour with this episode.

Forecast

What can I say ? This episode has three months of hype behind it, the massively popular Alex Jones, a hot topic that has been debated for years and is gaining steam, and a passionate audience who knows the score of the game. It has all the makings of an all-time classic and a strong possibility to live up to such expectations.

Much like the episode that spawned it, this will be another in a small handful of episodes so far in 2005 that will transcend Coast to Coast AM and will become more than just an episode of C2C. It will be the conclusion, for now, of a story that began 3 months ago when Art Bell sat down with Ben Chertoff and declared war on the "wingnuts".


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