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Welcome to this week’s historic edition of the Surge, here in our brand-new home. Do you like the imported marble floors and silk window treatments? We’ll tell ya, it was a real hassle getting those through the Strait of Hormuz.

Indeed, today is the exciting launch of Surge 2.0. To recap, each Saturday we’ll break down the biggest news of the week into three categories: what mattered most, what we’re keeping an eye on, and what’s unfathomably inane. Plus, there’s a fresh new section of quick hits at the end. Let us know what you think!

Now we begin with the GOP’s counterprogramming to the kickoff of the new NFL season.

What matters now: Trump is not entirely crazy for saying, “I’m on the ballot this fall.”

Republicans this week held their midterm convention, something that we “definitely” “watched.” Aside from a few stray clips and a couple of other newsy items we’ll deal with below, though, the most enduring message from the event were these words from President Donald Trump: “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot.” He would also tell the attendees, during a mock pledge, that they will “go to hell” if they don’t vote.

Democrats have celebrated this unsurprising decision of Trump’s to put himself forthrightly in the center of the midterm discussion. It’s a move that neatly aligns with Democrats’ strategy of making the midterms a referendum on Trump, whose approval rating is atrocious.

But we’re not willing to say that Trump’s strategy is all downside for Republicans.

The Republicans were never........

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