I thought that it was the most predictable speech that we could have heard from the right hon. and learned Gentleman. He may want to pose as the nice Dr. Jekyll, but we know that, deep down, he is still the same old Mr. Howard.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Blair dismisses an opponent’s speech as predictable and claims the opponent remains fundamentally unchanged.
- In plain terms
- The speech was expected and the opponent hasn’t really changed.
- What can you take from it?
- Predictability undermines a political speech’s impact.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is consistency a strength or weakness?
- How do you judge political change?
Another view
Dismissing opponents avoids engaging with their actual arguments.
More from Tony Blair
We've already discovered, just so far, the remains of 400,000 people in mass graves.
Permalink to quote #37 It has been an unrelenting, but, I have to accept, at least partly successful campaign to persuade Britain that Europe is a conspiracy aimed at us, rather than…
Permalink to quote #39 What amazes me is how many people are happy for Saddam to stay. They ask why we don't get rid of Mugabe, why not the Burmese lot. Yes, let's get rid of them al…
Permalink to quote #36
Related quotes
S. J. Gould's Mismeasure of Man is a paleontologist's distorted view of what psychologists think, untutored in even the most elementary facts of the science. G…
Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould quote #187 Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.
Lloyd BentsenLloyd Bentsen quote #1 He is one of those wise philanthropists who in a time of famine would vote for nothing but a supply of toothpicks.
Douglas William JerroldDouglas William Jerrold quote #1