So which was it? Did Alistair Darling mean to be quite so revealing in his weekend Guardian interview or were his comments a product of being too chilled out while talking to a journalist at his highland croft?
Several bloggers have woven the chancellor's startling comments into other interesting weekend stories, notably the claim that Gordon Brown's high-profile strategist, Stephen Carter, is to leave his job after a bitter turf war inside Downing Street, to try and read the runes for Labour. Is this the final chapter, wonders Political Betting.
Mike Smithson believes Darling knew exactly what he was doing and simply decided to "go for broke", making him rather dangerous.
The word is that Gordon Brown isn't best pleased with his chancellor and, let's face it, neighbourly feuds are never a good idea, whether on a council estate or in Downing Street. Allies of the prime minister have reportedly reacted with feeling when they insist that Darling should be sacked and his job given to the schools secretary, Ed Balls. What is Gordon Brown to do? "The dilemma for Gord is that sacking Darling could precipitate moves to oust him," says Smithson. "Yet, if he keeps his chancellor, Brown just looks weak."
Rightwing blogger Paul Staines, at Guido Fawkes's blog, is already evaluating the prospect of having Ed Balls as chancellor. Staines gives a no-holds-barred opinion that Balls as chancellor would be a vote loser: "Ed is possibly the only minister who the public, if they know him, detest even more than the Gordon Brown."
Some, like Chicken Yogurt, have been perplexed by Darling's need to share with the nation his views of ex-Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, who according to Darling "is not likeable at all". Ouch.
Iain Dale mused that the tenor of Darling's piece was more startling than its content. "Reading it, the feeling you got was of someone who had given up the ghost - who knew the game was up and was just going through the motions." Is he right?
