Trevor Mallard’s latest online gaffe was not just a brain fart, it was a bad attack of social media diarrhea. He was obviously expecting controversy, as you can see from his Twitter announcement:

Trevor Mallard ‏@TrevorMallard

At the risk of being treated like Josie http://fb.me/1fRU8ufYJ  

That is a major drake-up. Many won’t argue with the sentinments, but the timing and the sensitivities of Labour supporters make this a double barreled both feet shot.

He has since deleted the post but not before it was commented on extensively and copied and posted elsewhere:

• When You’re In A Hole

• Oh, Trevor!

• The Standard Open Mike

• Trevor the benny basher

The social media uproar from last week had settled down and the Labour PR machine was starting to get into gear, with all three Davids (Shearer, Cunliffe and Parker) in action at the start of this week.

So Trev tries to attract some attention away from that and to himself. Very poorly.

And the immediate aftermath has not been much better.

Sacha Dylan ‏@kaupapa

Look @davidshearermp, if we don’t hear on the 6pm news that you’ve disciplined Mallard, you’re not a ‘leader’ #nzpol

That reflects a common thought. Can Labour stagger on with a Mallardy like this?