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As apparently did former Mississauga Centre candidate Tanya Granic Allen’s comments about the pace of social liberalization in Croatia, and her comparing women in niqabs to ninjas and bank robbers. As apparently did London West candidate Andrew Lawton’s various since-deleted Twitter jokes involving Islam. As apparently did Kanata-Carelton candidate Merrillee Fullerton’s tweet about a niqab-wearing teacher.

Or maybe the Tories simply have different standards as to what’s beyond the pale. I do myself, as it happens. The Liberals can’t believe Lawton said “being friendly and welcoming is one of those situations where women are better than men.” I’m not sure I agree, but find that objectively inoffensive. We are meant to swoon in shock at Lawton’s suggestion that black and Hispanic Americans are arrested more often because they commit more crimes. I think it’s vastly more complicated than that, but I know tons of people think that. A Toronto Star columnist dug this up: “I left the Anglican church when they made the decision to allow gay marriage.”

Well, see, you’re still allowed to have religious opinions about same-sex marriage. Out here in the real world, that’s not in dispute.

That’s not to say Lawton’s a good candidate. He’s clearly a liability. No matter what he says, he’s very unlikely to steal an NDP riding at a time when the party is surging in the polls. Ford actually appointed him, and now he has to waste his time defending him. But the theatrical Liberal demands that Ford ditch him and Fullerton sound more like a death rattle to me than like a plan.