in defense of working canadians, the fact is that singh hasn't integrated. it would be one thing if there was this kind of a reaction against an ujjal dosanjh or a niki haley - that would simply be racist. these people have integrated; they're just like us. but, singh's claim to fame was fighting against helmet laws on religious grounds. he wears a ridiculous beard, and he won't take his turban off. an aversion to this kind of thing isn't inherently racist, as there is a political basis underlying the argument. by refusing to integrate, he's wearing a set of political beliefs and ideologies on his sleeves that voters have every right to back away from.

i might rather make the opposite point - that electing somebody that refuses to shave off his magic beard would be a massive step backwards into the void of pre-modern ignorance.

i just wish we had a better option.