Either Jeffrey Donaldson is working to a fiendishly clever political masterplan or he has made an enormous miscalculation.
Time and again David Trimble has been challenged and on each occasion the Ulster Unionist leader has survived, although not without cost.
Monday night's so-called defining moment for Ulster Unionism has left Mr Trimble retaining a slim majority in a deeply divided party, so not much change there.
However, the Lagan Valley MP overplayed his hand, threatening in advance that he would be considering his position if the vote went against him, which is a very high-risk strategy.
Judging by the emotion he displayed following his defeat, he had expected a different result and now faces some difficult choices.
It would be refreshing to think that Ulster Unionists will now rally behind the leader and work towards the full implementation of the agreement and the re-establishment of the devolved institutions.
However, it is clear that is not going to happen in the near future.
Mr Donaldson may have overplayed his hand but there are many anti-agreement unionists keen to stymie any attempts to go back into the power-sharing administration.
It is essential that this negative, narrow view is not allowed to prevail.
There have been references in recent days to the events of 1974, when unionists opposed to power-sharing moved against party leader Brian Faulkner and brought down the executive.
No doubt there are a number of party members who hark back to that period and believe that this tactic could be repeated.
However, revisiting a strategy which set us back 25 years is hardly the most progressive move for any political party which aspires to to be modern and forward-looking.
Apart from anything else, times and expectations have changed and there is no possibility of turning the clock back 30 years.
All political parties should be focused on the future and in creating a stable, peaceful, inclusive society.
That means supporting and implementing the agreement and holding the government to its pledge to call assembly elections in the autumn.
