Easy Win
Easiest argument win ever:

Dripping Wet EP Researcher: "Howard's immigration speech this week was a mindless lurch to the right, solely designed to return the Tories to their "core-vote" strategy in a mad panic."

Me: "Rubbish. It was full of quite compassionate and sensible principles."

DWEPR: "No, it was quasi-fascist Monday Club rubbish."

Me: "Do you know what the Monday Club stand for? Have you read their manifesto?"

DWEPR: "Er, no, but, er, fascists, er, right-wing, er...."

Me: "Have you even read Howard's speech in full?"

DWEPR: "Er, no, but, it's obvious, er, fascists..."

Me: "You don't have a clue what you're talking about, do you?"

DWEPR: "Er, mumble....." (goes red)

These knee-jerk leftists profoundly irritate me. This chap was a Conservative Party researcher, yet he couldn't even be bothered to read the full text of his Leader's speech before criticising it in public for the sole reason that the gist he had gathered from BBC News's hackneyed sub-editing didn't suit his general "liberal" gut feeling. Quite ridiculous: if he had bothered to read the bloody thing (it was e-mailed to all our offices, after all) and chosen subsequently to criticise the specific content, I would have given him some credit, although I would have questioned his claim to be a "conservative". I can't understand this mindless desire to criticise for the sole mention of certain policy topics (tax = Tory cuts, immigration = Tory racists, etc) - particularly from supposed Tory activists.

The worst thing is, the London Conservative Party and CCO are full of idiots like this. No wonder the Conservatives are going nowhere in spite of the fact they're actually coming out with some wholly decent policies.

- posted by Foxy @ 26.9.04