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John Lott Accuses Piers Morgan of 'Ambushing' Guests

He got exactly what he wanted from his showdown with Alex Jones, says Lott

Jan 8, 2013 by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: YouTube

Pro-gun author John Lott sent Politico an email Tuesday charging pundit Piers Morgan with "ambushing" guests on his program and scheming for precisely the confrontation he wants.

Taking issue with Morgan choosing such a fringe figure as Alex Jones to appear on his show, Lott writes that he picked Jones "precisely because Morgan expected and wanted the reaction that he received."

He goes on: "For Piers to have on an excitable conspiracy theorist and then use that appearance to attack the arguments that gun control can be counterproductive makes as much sense as pointing to a similar person on the other side to argue that those who support gun control shouldn't be listened to."

Morgan responded indirectly to Lott's accusation by telling Politico that his own confrontation with Lott had been met with the charge that he talks over his guests, not allowing them to make their case. That may be, of course, another reason why Morgan chose Jones: he knew it'd be difficult for even himself to get a word in edgewise with the populist conservative.

Via Politico.

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?	Is Lott right, or is he just trying to turn attention away from Alex Jones' behavior?

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Comments (view in Forum)

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Jan '13

Mogal

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Lotts a putz, he's inserting himself into this to get some attention and sell some books.
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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I happen to agree with what he said.
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Jan '13

Mogal

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@Neo_NtheMatrix -And?
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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@Mogal - I think what he had to add was valuable and not something that he was just saying in order to get attention.
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Jan '13

martydotcom

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Am I the only one who is terrified that a man as clearly insane as Alex Jones is allowed to have a gun? It's only a matter of time before that guy shoots up a government building. The guy is a complete nutcase with an itchy trigger finger.
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Jan '13

Mogal

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@Neo_NtheMatrix -If you truly think that, then I have some beachfront property I will gladly sell you for cheap.
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Jan '13

Food4thoughts

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Duh...no worse than Nancy Grace...I hate her...>:-x
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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If I had to make a choice as to which was the most condescending, irritating, chalk on the blackboard voice, between Nancy Grace and Rachel Madow I don't think I could pick just one over the other. On the male side however I can easily say that Bill O'Reily wins easily.
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Jan '13
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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@jessejaymes I have to lean towards Ann Coulter.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@mtkopf You got me there. She's right at the same level for me that Maddow and Grace are as well.
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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@jessejaymes hey Matlin is the worst but, as she is a guest not host I can't count her. But, if I was making an animated film and I needed a voice for a wicked witch, it would be a toss up between Coulter and Matlin.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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It is what it is. Nobodies on the fringe of public awareness blowing smoke to get noticed. None of these represent me or my views.
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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I'm not as ready to accuse Morgan of choosing Jones because he knew the guy was going to come off as a nutbag, however, I would like to see Piers have someone on his show who can discuss gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment in a more rational manner. And I would challenge Piers Morgan to actually let such a person finish their statements without interruption.
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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I thought Alex Jones did a wonderful job defending the 2nd Amendment. I really don't know what else there would be to talk about after Jones laid down all the facts. He came well prepared and Piers had no dispute of Jones' facts nor any comeback. Bravo Alex!
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Jan '13

SmedleyButler

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He did, Larry Pratt from the Gun owners of America. Morgan went off on him like a nut bag. Alex just gave it back to him. Screw Morgan and his pretentious anglophiles .
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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@SmedleyButler - Thanks, I guess I missed that. But then, I missed this one, too, because I don't like Piers Morgan much, largely because he interrupts his guests. Still, Jones didn't help helpself by playing the angry lunatic.
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Jan '13

SmedleyButler

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@Denizen_Kate Well, it scared him. That's what he needed, a humbling.
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Jan '13

SmedleyButler

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@Denizen_Kate The Lunatic tag is getting old. Everyone is a lunatic these days, and on meds for it. The meds just make it comfortable for the so called " normies"is social settings. The results are what we saw in Sandy hook. A stifled drudged person coming out to be heard, in a violent way, and it's in the warnings in the pamphlet. But hey 2+2=50 right? I'd rather trust a ranting passionate person, than a drugged quiet angry one.
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Jan '13

Wisdom73

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I'm sorry but Lott has no place backing Jones up. I'm a gun owner also, but when somebody makes a idiotic statement like Jones did saying "America was born on guns and whiskey" and "It's true we're a violent society" like he is proud of those things, he lost all credibility with me. Anyone who admits then admires our society for being violent, does not speak for me.
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Jan '13

slov

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HE IS RIGHT 100 %
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Jan '13

PNWest

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The way the right works is if Piers Morgan doesn't have Alex Jones on his show it must mean that he is afraid of Jones and what he has to say. If he does and Jones looks like a nut ball then Piers Morgan was exploiting Jones and should have interviewed some other gun nut like John Lott.
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Jan '13

Vance1

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Piers Morgan needs to go home!!!
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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I'd chip in on a one-way ticket to send Piers back to the UK.
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Jan '13

Heavy-Fed

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@Neo_NtheMatrix I'll volunteer to row him home in a rowboat for free... sink it on the way and sacrifice myself for the greater good of humanity.
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Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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@Heavy-Fed - That's okay, let's just send him back safe and sound - where he belongs.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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@Neo_NtheMatrix Under a rock?
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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@Heavy-Fed
No need to put Piers in the boat, but otherwise you've got a great idea.
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Jan '13

Heavy-Fed

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The truth is... Alex Jones has such a HUGE audience... everyone just wants to ride his coattails. I have a first hand Alex Jones story on my website... traffic to that page has increased 10 times since last night. Google: Heavy Fed Alex Jones.

I guess this means even I am riding Alex Jones coattails!!! LOL
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Jan '13

DARSB

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Sadly, no. Mr Jones isn't even in the Top 12, which means Ed Schultz and Rev Al Sharpton have larger audiences. http://goo.gl/d1bE7
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Jan '13

Heavy-Fed

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@DARSB Sadly, you're wrong... Alex Jones has a much larger audience if you include everything he does. He's quite a busy man. What does your opinion matter anyway? Weren't you telling GI's how bad Marijuana was for them in the service? You ought to have your opinion rights revoked for that crap.
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Jan '13

Phreakwars

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Glenn Beck says Alex Jones is a conspiracy theorist moron: http://www.video.theblaze.com/media/video.jsp...
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Jan '13

Heavy-Fed

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@Phreakwars Consider the source.
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Jan '13

Phreakwars

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@Heavy-Fed I know, right?
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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I think Lott is just trying to take attention away from that wackjob that Piers had on the show.
That being said, I have never watched his show or ANY of the pundits' shows, either right or left. They have as much journalistic credibility as Howard Stern. This guest should have known he would be baited and ambushed by Morgan. Its not like he was a guest of the LaPierre Show on WNRA.
He was baited, he fell for the trap now get over it. Jones had the choice and the right NOT to appear on the show, next time he might want to exercise that right.
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Jan '13

Lorneg

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NRA affiliates are desperate to hold on to their guns/or stick to their guns, as an obsession. They would rather stick to their guns rather than minimize horrible mass shootings/killings. In other words, the lust for guns outweighs the need to reduce gun related deaths in the US. In other words, keep guns and kill 30,000+ US people per year. In other words, the $30B/year gun industry is more important than 30,000 people/year. In other words, the $30B/year gun industry is more important than the 30,000/year deaths plus the $32B/year gun shot related health care costs. If you are looking for a clear resolution, copy the most civilized people on this planet, copy the Japanese now!
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Jan '13

PNWest

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Each gun nut killing costs society $5.1M according to Businessweek - hardly a liberal source. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-...
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Jan '13

WilliamWallace

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You can't count suicides as gun violence. When someone is to that point they will find a way with or without guns.
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Jan '13

Canoochee

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Based on your comments it follows that you would have no problem with shooting any gun owners that refuse to allow their guns to be confiscated?
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Jan '13

cpeter133

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Evidently Lott doesn't understand how talk shows work. Of course, he calculated how this loon would react. If a guest can't come off as rational, it's his own fault. It's not like he has no experience with the media.
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Jan '13

Thegrif

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Piers Ambushing? Naw are you kidding?
Hell yea thats what he does. Jones handled though by jumping right in to lunatic mode.
Lol
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Jan '13

MadAmerican

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Morgan is like Obama. He will only do an interview that makes himself look good. Everything was probobly pre-scripted.
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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So he is saying that Piers Morgan asked Alex Jones onto his show with the intent of "ambushing" him in order to make gun control advocates look like ranting fools, and it had nothing to do with Alex Jones starting a petition to have Morgan deported from the country?
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Jan '13

Mogal

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Shhhh......its those little niggly details that they try to sweep under the rug.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Do any of these people actually think they are worth the air time they get? shouldn't they be on american idol or some crap show like that?
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Jan '13

captchaos69

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Lott's right. Morgan has a real problem with anything American. He's a sore loser Brit and should not be allowed OUR freedom of speech.
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Jan '13

Russell797

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Controversy...Hoorrraaa. It's entertainment. People are talking about the show. It worked, and the advertisers are gleeful. Mission accomplished.
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Jan '13

humptydumpty

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another false choice question! alex jones said what needed to be said passion and truth in a short time frame!! go allex!!
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Jan '13

Vaulter

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Lott is absolutely right. Also, I sure as hell hope he got the attention away from that lunatic Morgan chose for his show to make the rest of that look bad! If anyone looks at my profile, I am BelinKS's son. I am not nearly as nice as she is and am much more crass getting my point across. I signed up after reading her posts and some if the ignorant replies to her. She may be nice about it. Don't count on that from me! She asked me to write something as a favor to her since she knows how I am. PNwest, this is not aimed at you. You and my mother may not agree, but you have been nothing but respectful towards her. As you can probably guess, she was a very young mother, but I couldn't have asked for better!
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Jan '13

BelinKS

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Kid, you just put a target on yourself by identifying yourself as my son. I never have been able to stop you when you set your mind to something. Thank you for the note to PNWest.
As for your post, I completely agree with you!
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Is Lott right, or is he just trying to turn attention away from Alex Jones' behavior?