Darien Fenton and online discipline (updated)

This is a comment from Labour’s Darien Fenton on a post from Nov 28:

Morgan : what a load of cobblers. I found this on Annette Sykes website, and I was appalled. You've picked up the anti union/working class MSM line: I'm a working class woman, with ancestry you know nothing about, who has worked supporting low paid workers for many years and who has continued to do so in parliament. I'm no "high flyer" but do the hard yards and your comments are elitist and ignorant. You also need to understand MMP a little better. I was first elected as No. 43 on Labour's list and then 33 the following term. Stu was 28 and Kelvin 23 in 2011 - both great positions that recognised their potential and ability; but 27% of people gave us their party vote and we won four seats we didn't have at the last election. I'm annoyed at the shallowness of your analysis. I thought you might be better than this.

Darien is Labour’s new junior whip (JW). Whips are responsible for caucus discipline. However, as evidenced in the above, she has not exercised discipline herself. It is a cardinal sin for an MP to engage a blogger. The MP adds legitimacy to the blogger and the bloggers’ claim. You cannot win a fight with a blogger. You can win the battle, in other words you can win the argument, but you lose the war. Trevor Mallard smashed Whaleoil in their cycle race, but Whale still won the war. Trevor was pulled down to Whale’s level and smashed in the mud fight.

Darien, as JW, is unwise to go around engaging bloggers. She risks turning what was an irrelevant claim from a small time blogger, read myself, in to something serious. Imagine if this comment was left on Kiwiblog, or any other right blog for that matter. Darien would be crucified.

Darien (as JW) should impose online discipline on Labour MPs. No commenting on blogs would be a good start. Also, don’t acknowledge bloggers.

Now, I accept Darien’s right to take me to task. She has an even greater right given my unkind comments towards her. And hey, maybe I am elitist and ignorant. But isn't it just monumentally stupid though, to engage me?

(This post is written on the assumption it actually was Darien Fenton who commented, not some online loser. I'm sure I'll be corrected if this wasn't Darien). It was.

UPDATE: I may be elitist and ignorant, but cannot see for the life of me where I have picked up the "anti union/working class MSM line". Having said all of this, I accept my comment about Darien's ability was ungracious and uncalled for and I apologise.