Over the weekend, the Democratic National Committee elected a new chairman, Ken Martin, from America's heartland to lead the party out of its post-election purgatory. The Minnesotan faces a steep climb to persuade a deeply skeptical public. The New York Times reports that 57% of Americans now have a negative view of the Democratic Party, and Republicans are seen as "more in sync with the mood of the country." The Grey Lady laments that after conducting interviews with over 50 party leaders, Democrats appear "leaderless, rudderless and divided."

Enter: President Donald J. Trump. Since unleashing "shock and awe" from the Oval Office, the MAGA leader's approval numbers have gone up, even in the blue stronghold of New York state. According to the latest Siena College poll released this week, 41% of New Yorkers approve of Trump's performance. On the issue of border control, the number climbs to 54%. On the Left Coast, residents of Los Angeles are becoming MAGA-curious. Following the wildfires that decimated thousands of homes, new polling finds that 43% of Angelinos would “consider Republican leadership.”

The newly installed DNC chairman insists that his party merely needs is a fresh coat of paint, telling The New York Times, "The policies that we support and the message that we have is not wrong. It is a messaging problem and a brand problem." Voters of all political stripes, however, are looking under the hood.