It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people

You can take a ringside seat as Tory activists bite chunks out of each other publicly over whether the drop to a 1% lead in today's Populus poll shows Cameron's strategy has failed. It's all online here.

Best quotes:

• "I'm no lover of Gordon Brown far from it, but where is the empirical evidence that he is a "loser"? We are in great danger of believing that he will be a push over. As much as I hope he is, I don't think we should underestimate this man."
• "We're trying to get Cameron into office despite all his most recent efforts to prevent it. When we give up in disgust and failure, there is only UKIP.36% on the poll of polls, down 3% since I started bloggin here, isnt even enough for a hung parliament.Yes I know this is a rogue poll and yes the feeling on the ground is much more positive etc etc etc etcBut "in the bowels of Christ I beseech thee, think thee that thou may be wrong?""
• "It is clear that the 2% we have lost has gone straight to the 'others', possibly UKIP.
  Greg Clarke may have totaly ruined my dream of seeing the back of Labour with his totally crass statements. He is as much of a fool as some of the crackpots in UKIP who are benefitting from his shocking judgement.
  Why hasn't Cameron sacked him?"
• "we are NOT going to win a majority in the Commons with 34% of the vote. We won't even get there with the 39% quoted in the Cameron v Brown figures.
  We are NOT going to win by actively trying to turn away conservatives from the Conservative Party!
  Why do you hold conservatives with such raw contempt?"
• "You and your kind do NOT believe in a broad church. You adhere to the bankrupt Portillo theory that you can alienate your core vote (who will still vote for you out of deference) and win a General Election by picking up floating Lib Dem-leaning votes in a few constituencies in Greater London and the South-East. This strategy has always struck me as utterly bonkers, even from a purely tactical perspective"
• "We do face a serious challenge from Labour and to convince the public that we've really changed. "
• ""Putting the brake on change is the last thing we need now. We need to go faster."
  That presupposes that the "change" message is one that appeals to much of the electorate. I don't think it does, and may even be demoralising our supporters."
• "I cannot live with this "leader" who seems so shallow and uninterested in real issues facing this country. Brown is more attractive to me than Cameron"
• "I've expecting for months that the wheels would come off the Cameron bandwagon. This poll seems to indicate that the public are finally suffering the long-predicted effects of Cameron fatigue.
  Once Cameron starts to lag in the polls he will soon be easy meat in the water, just as IDS was before him. Then the predators can move in for the kill.
  I voted for Davis in the election last year but I'm moving to favour a comeback by Hague."
• "On the evidence to date I cannot see the Cameron makeover putting the Tories back into power. Cameron's attempts to woo the electorate are analagous to a younger sister plastering herself in make-up to draw the attention of an older sister's boyfriend. The overall effect is shallow, embarrassing, and ultimately self-defeating. "
• "Well, as the saying goes, you get to reap what you sow.
  Having prostituted the Party against the wishes of a large minority (at least)of the membership with his reckless and needless gamble at the altar of touchy feely Political correctness, it's landed butter side down.
  What price Ming being the only current leader still in situ at the next GE ?"