Democrats are begging for change — will their party ever listen?

Despite what some eternally optimistic stalwarts will tell you, the Democratic Party took a real beating last year. While that loss has clearly put some Democrats, like embattled Democratic National Committee vice-chair David Hogg, in a fighting mood, millions more are still nursing their post-November political hangovers.  

Democrats now face a challenging summer. The party is battling both an enthusiasm gap with Republicans and broad voter dissatisfaction within their own ranks. A new Associated Press-NORC poll found that six months on from their Election Day defeat, only about one-third of Democratic voters are optimistic about the party’s future. That’s down nearly 20 points from a year ago.