Likewise, those who predict that Mr. Dion will be toxic to Liberal chances in Quebec, on the basis of the usual Quebec nationalist fulminations, do not know their history. The nationalists are fond of predicting what Quebecers will do or think, predictions that are almost invariably proved wrong.

-- A. Columnist, National Post, December 4.

And in a reaction that defies the conventional wisdom of Quebec pundits, 62 per cent of respondents in the province said that Mr. Dion was a good choice for the Liberals, with only 29 per cent saying he was a bad choice. The approval of the Liberals' pick was higher in Quebec than in the rest of the country, where 55 per cent liked the choice.

-- Globe and Mail/Strategic Counsel poll, December 4. UPDATE: Capt. Wells rounds up the usual suspects. I, STÉPHANE: Today's column draws the obvious parallel between Stéphane Dion and the Emperor Claudius, of I, Claudius fame. Eerie coincidence: At 51, Dion is the same age as Claudius when he became emperor.