Combustable?

One of the more memorable modern insults
hurled from behind the barricades of social media
at politicians of defensive temperaments is
'They could start an argument in an empty room'. 
though whether the room is empty even of them,
or just empty of other people has to guessed at.

When such insults become shorthand for their targets
this will make politics easier to read, but less uplifting.
It will make playing the know-all all the more tempting
whilst leaving listeners to the dialogue none the wiser.

The headlines in the paper will read something like
'Self combusting speaker sustains injury
from exploding argument: interviewer not injured.'
where the projected argument no longer matters, 
the burnt out speaker took all the oxygen out of it
with their personality as they spoke.

Later, calmer voices will reset the agenda,
and show an improved level of leadership
which make politics less conflicted.

We will only know that after it happens,
and the effect may not last for long.