Sci -
Now I'll address the questions you are raising now. Your first statement is unsupported opinion as Trump's comments being racist or not is open for interpretation (I may be wrongly assuming your statement refers to this situation and you are not just generally speaking).
It is contextual. The words are not racist, and people are saying they are racist. They are not racist, it has nothing to do with opinion - are they offensive? Yes. Maybe people from those countries were offended and maybe they weren't.
The countries identified by Trump as "Shithole" countries have as a majority of their citizens, what are considered minority racial populations in the United States.
And that is surprising why? Are you thinking about what you're writing or just writing the first thing that comes into your head?
He offers as an alternative, Norway, a country whose majority of citizens are the same race as the majority of US citizens and his own race.
So now you're convinced it is about race so it must be about race? That seems a little convenient if that is the card you wish to play. I would say it might equally be that he's looked at a chart of the worlds countries and seen Norway at the top and the "shithole" countries and the bottom then asked "Why are we taking in people from these places in the same proportion as other countries? That is not to say I agree with such a position, but I find it superficially innocent, if someone callous.
Given Trump's history and noted actions against certain racial and ethnic groups there is a real possibility that his comments were in fact racist.
THIS is the real meat of the issue for me. They were NOT racist words. You cannot say they were not racist words and then say they were racist words. If he is racist it doesn't make his every utterance a racist utterance, and trying to attach any racial connotation to his comments merely makes people who are not racist and talking about "shithole" countries look racist.
To exaggerate the situation if I were to call a woman feminine may I fear being called sexist. Or if I were to say women are shorter than men, Africa is a messed up continent with corruption rife in almost every country top to bottom, and that western civilization is something to be proud of, does this make me racist and sexist. Of course not. Even if I was to go out into the streets tomorrow and kill a black woman and then announced that I killed her because she was a woman and because she was black it still would make the previous comments either sexist or racist, it would make me sexist and racist - there is a difference.
Yet you say:
but someone who feels differently I think is justified to accuse him of racism.
No, no and no. They are not justified in saying such a thing based purely by association. They are free to suggest such a thing and then I can say to them, you, like I am doing now how ridiculous, irrational and plain dangerous it is to pander to such knee-jerk reactions.
If someone is evil there is no need to exaggerate or conflate their every utterance. It is my opinion (and this is an opinion) that it does more harm than good, and only allows those you wish to express your distresses to to ignore you on the basis of one possible interpretation.
Your next sentence is true, he is being targeted, but I disagree with your notion that leaked information invalidates the content of what is leaked.
What? That also makes no sense. Is this more "sarcasm"? Understand, it is hard for me to see what you say as being sarcastic or not when you repeatedly insinuate what I am saying.
Incidentally, you are also doing what Toucan is doing
No, I'm not.
you are disregarding the arguments being made by the Good Morning Program as it all being an emotional plea to their viewers
I was talking about the video running in the background of the presenter cradling a crying child.
Anyway, this all bothers me because I don't really want Trump to remain in office for another 4 years. I don't see anything that is going to make it otherwise at the moment. As for polls I kind of like Bill Burr's comic take on it. Any sensible person avoids someone with a clipboard, so those taking polls are getting their numbers from a very particular section of the public - and I seem to remember someone saying that Trump's number were the lowest of any president ... I think they are about as low as they were just before the election, and look who won?
Who is going to challenge Trump. Is there anyone viable yet.