In part, his defence would focus on what Mr Craig has said previously. The Conservative Party leader could be asked to disclose all his past comments on women and gays, possibly including personal emails. Given the flaky nature of some of Mr Craig's comments on a variety of issues, there is a strong prospect of skeletons in his cupboard. Disclosure of these is the last thing that he needs as he tries to cement a relationship with National. Already, John Key has looked askance at Mr Craig's legal manoeuvring, suggesting it is "a waste of time".
If Mr Craig needs further convincing that he should drop legal proceedings, he need look no further than one of the very few instances in recent times when it was contemplated. This occurred in 2002 after Bill English, then the National leader, impugned Prime Minister Helen Clark's honesty and integrity over the destruction of a painting that she had signed for sale by a charity. She sought to shut down the issue by threatening a resort to the defamation law. Nothing came of it. She realised very quickly that the threat made her appear worried and irritated, rather than righteous, and that defamation proceedings would prompt only a more searching examination of the painting debacle.
The implications for Mr Craig are obvious. This is not a situation where he can extract an apology from a satirist, a blogger or from Seven Sharp, subsequent to a Broadcasting Standards Authority decision.
It is one where Dr Norman would relish the opportunity to press home his view that Mr Craig's attitude towards women and gays is outdated and disrespectful. Unless Mr Craig is, indeed, completely naive, this is surely a threat that will go no further.