'Six sexes' vs. '$6 diesel': the midterm culture-war fight has a new counterpunch.

Roll Call has a sharp look at how the transgender-athlete debate is playing out in the final weeks before November. Republicans are running on it again, and the numbers show why: a Pew survey last year found 73% of Americans were uncomfortable with athletes competing on teams that don't match their sex at birth. The new wrinkle is how Democrats respond. Some are moving right: Iowa's Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, told The New York Times that biological males shouldn't compete against females. In Texas, James Talarico expressed regret over past comments and said he'd oppose trans athletes in girls' sports 'if it endangers safety or fairness,' then pivoted with a line that's getting noticed: Republicans 'want to talk about six sexes' because 'they don't want to talk about $6 diesel.' That's the whole midterm in one sentence. One side wants the race to be about values and fairness in girls' sports. The other wants it to be about the price of fuel and groceries. Voters feel both. The party that convincingly answers both questions, instead of trying to change the subject, probably wins the close races. Worth a full read, whichever side of the aisle you sit on.