Affordability seems to be the pressing issue for the November elections. But I would argue another "A" word is the key to Republican chances in 2026: Appeasement. 

Look, I know that a lot of Republican candidates and officeholders are afraid of President Donald Trump and fearful of angering his core base of supporters, no matter what he says or does. To avoid that fate, they have swallowed hard and sought to appease Trump and MAGA by falling in line. But now might be a good time to rethink that strategy.

A bit of advice to those who want to win in the midterm elections: Appeasement is not a good strategy. 

Clearly, the war with Iran is not going as planned, if it was planned at all. More than a dozen American men and women in uniform have died, and hundreds have been wounded in combat. A school in Iran suffered a direct hit, killing more than 175, most of them children. Gas prices have risen sharply, by nearly $1 a gallon. Airline executives are predicting higher fares this summer due to a rise in jet fuel. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains clogged. Among Trump’s latest ideas is to bomb Iran’s power plants, a violation of the Geneva........

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