I don’t disagree with what you said about attacking people for things that they have no control over, like their physical attributes. It’s something I generally find distasteful as well. But I give Trump a pass for the most part, because of the reasons I laid out, and also because the people he’s attacking, like Carly, Bloomberg, etc. aren’t babies. They know that things are going to get rough when they enter the arena, and I’m sure they are capable of being just as cutthroat in their own way as Trump is.
Also, I think most voters don’t take his insults too literally and know what Trump is up to (trying to fluster his opponents rather than harboring any true animosity towards them for their appearance). The thing about Trump’s insults is that even when they are ostensibly targeting a physical attribute, there is usually a more subtle underlying message aimed at their character hidden within the attack. Think Rubio. He was tagged with ‘Little Marco’. Trump also made fun of his excessive sweating. Both attacks were effective because they were really targeting his immaturity and inability to handle the demands of the job more than any physical shortcomings.
Anyway, thanks for the response. I enjoyed talking with you.