Merom is quite convincing. Surely, he convinced many people not to vote for Ehud Barak. He was not alone. Previously, Merom and his friends made sure people know that Barak is a dictator, that he attempts to impose his strong opinions, and also that he is indecisive and too democratic. Barak was criticized for hesitating a few hours before taking action against Ori Orr, because of his friendship with Orr.
Friendship is a laudable consideration however.
It is more difficult to understand why no action has been taken for two years against the people in the Labor party who have used every possible opportunity to tear Barak down and ruin his chances, and their own party's chances, for election. Perhaps they are right - he is not a strong enough leader. In Golda Meir's time, for example, there was order, and any destructive infighting was nipped in the bud. The Labor party has some great assets, but Labor is too paralyzed by infighting, too debilitated by repeated defeats to use them. They have Shimon Peres, a respected elder-statesmen and symbol of peace.