September 24, 2025
"THE LAND OF OCD" AND HUGE DISPARITIES IN TRUMP JOB APPROVAL POLLS

Words have meaning. Mere repetition can elevate truth and fact. But, at times, that repetition can reduce it to idiocy and repugnant propaganda. Words can become devoid of meaning.

Words like “fascism,” “authoritarian” and “dictator” are thrown around on a daily basis. So are “Gestapo” and “Nazi.” The political Left and the Democrats utter them copiously and repetitiously. But do they ever describe what they mean? Do they even know what they mean? But when it comes to Donald Trump there is no limit on hyperbole, hysteria and hypocrisy.

So, as a public service, I checked the definition. “Facism” is a “far-right authoritarian political ideology led by a dictatorial person/regime which uses military force to suppress opposition and promote aggressive nationalism with elements of racism.”  Further, fascism “glorifies military strength, believes in the moral superiority of one’s nation, has a single supreme leader, violently suppresses dissent, collaborates with the elites to cement its rule and disseminate false propaganda, has a cult of purity and plenty of staged events.”

There is no doubt that almost all those on the Trump-hating Left deem the foregoing to be an exact description of our country. But somehow they have no problem with Socialism which rules through authoritarianism, coercion and thought control.

So, I’m thinking, does that really sound like Trump and America circa 2025? Or are these Leftists engaged in sociopathic behavior? No, what I think they suffer is “political obsessive-compulsive disorder.” Clinical OCD is defined as “frequent unwanted, intrusive, borderline horrific thoughts and repetitive, neurotic behavior performed over and over to reduce anxiety.”

What’s the political tie in? It’s that for the 75,017,613 Americans who voted Harris-Walz and before that Biden-Harris and Clinton-Kaine and also their news media the cause of their anxiety is Trump. The president was elected with 77,302,580 votes – and a 49.8 to 48.3 percent margin – is their obsession and the anti-Trump cable and legacy networks and are their compulsion.

The Left needs constant reassurance and validation that its views are reasonable. And they get that from some media outlets that vilify, distort, censor and/or omit anything and everything positive that Trump does or says, and from Democratic politicians who are vulgar and vituperative in their Trump-bashing. I know, FOX News does the same thing, but in the opposite direction, stumping for Trump any chance they get. So do Republican politicians.

While I don’t make light of the actual debilitating mental health issue of clinical OCD, I am making fun of “political OCD” since there is a cure.

Sufferers could watch FOX News or read the Wall Street Journal. But they won’t. For them Trump’s FAILURE is an absolute metaphysical necessity. He cannot succeed, never, at anything, so they watch news that says exactly that. Trump has been a fairly successful president, employing an Eat-My-Dust strategy wherein every daily news cycle he’s doing something to cement his base. By the time the Left belittles, bemoans and/or mocks Trump the issue is moot and forgotten – but Trump has already won the news cycle.

The Left is being boxed in to take up stupid positions on every issue. Trump has proven himself to be a political Colossus. The Dems can’t catch a break and they won’t if they don’t stop picking the 20 in the 80/20 issues.

TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: Nationwide polling is all about the sample. You’re going to phone and quiz 1,000-3,000 respondents and if too many come from NY, CA or IL then the poll will be skewed leftward. A whole lot of people, especially on the Right, don’t talk to pollsters. And many others lie to them.

The most accurate 2024 pollsters – who projected a Trump-Vance win – were Trafalgar, Rasmussen and Insider Advantage, all in the range of 50-48. Those who over-sampled Democrats – NYT/Siena, Emerson, CNN, Reuters/Ipsos, Morning Consult, Economist/YouGov, AP and even FOX were wrong. Now they’re doing the same thing on Trump’s J/A numbers (see CHART). Recent polls show Trump at or near his Nov. 5 49.8 ceiling. Rasmussen has him up 53/46 and RMG Research up 51/47 but Atlas Intel has him down 47/52, FOX at 46/54, WaPo/Ipsos at 45/55, Economist /YouGov a 43/55 and AP/NORC at an absurd 39/60. How can there be such disparity?

It costs 10K and to do a credible poll, paid by the sponsors. It’s bad business for pollsters to disappoint sponsors with adverse outcomes. Those polls never get published.  But it’s really about the sample, said Matt Podgorski, a principal at M3 Strategies, an IL pollster. “Trump is over-performing,” he added. 

THE BIG SOCIALIST APPLE: Chicago, unfortunately, already has an incompetent Socialist mayor. New York City will soon elect another. Chicago, fortunately, has a runoff system so the mayor needs a majority. Brandon Johnson, who apparently called fighting crime a “sickness,” can and will lose in 2027.

Because of NYC’s archaic multi-party system Zohran Mamdani can and will be elected mayor. Polls consistently show that close to 60 percent of New Yorkers do not want a Socialist/Marxist/communist as mayor. But Mamdani has a hardcore 42-45 percent base, as shown in polls for 2 months. Guardian Angels founder and Republican Curtis Sliwa is stuck around 15 percent. He would win a one-on-one versus Mamdani. The incumbent Eric Adams polls under 10 percent. And the washed-up Andrew Cuomo polls at around 25 percent.

With 5 weeks to go none are inclined to quit. A Mamdani win is almost guaranteed.

IN LOCAL POLITICS, 41st Ward committeeperson (R) and cop Ammie Kessem is running for county commissioner in the far Northwest Side/northwest suburban 9 th District. This seat was held by Pete Silvestri (R) for 28 years but Maggie Trevor (D), of Hoffman Estates, won it in 2022 by 680 votes, beating pollster Podgorski. With loads of Pritzker/Preckwinkle cash again, Trevor is favored in 2026. 

Read more Analysis & Opinion from Russ Stewart at Russstewart.com

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