This move by the Democratic National Committee to suppress the public viewing regarding its internal autopsy report on the last presidential race seems shocking but not surprising. Averse to hard truths, the DNC operates more like a PR firm than an electoral entity focused on building grassroots capacities capable of prevailing at the polls.
A Culture of Conformity
Unwilling to depart from the party establishment's culture of conformity, the committee has stayed under the Biden-Harris shadow throughout this past year. Releasing such a report would have indicated that the leadership truly desire to promote open debate regarding the errors which allowed Donald Trump to become president again. Yet, the leadership is moving forward under the pretense that there is little to glean following the stunning loss from the last cycle.
Our guiding principle: will this lead to victory? If the answer is no, it is an unnecessary diversion from the core mission," a justification which was presented to justify concealing the analysis.
Major Failures an Autopsy Would Have Addressed
Any valuable post-mortem of substance would not dodge key points of failure. These include:
- Voter Alienation: Failing to retain among a significant portion of the electorate that backed the Democratic ticket during the previous election became a critical factor during the tight recent race.
- The Choice to Seek Re-election: The unwavering decision by the incumbent to run again, and a very late withdrawal, is seen by some as denying the party's base the chance for a competitive nomination process.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: Amid rising costs, the electoral effort reportedly accommodating elite contributors while failing to confront the effects of big business.
- The Gaza Factor: The failure to shift an approach regarding a ongoing war reportedly led to alienating many voters, notably with youth voters, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans.
- Losing Youth Allegiance: Extensive evidence demonstrates a huge decrease of support for the party among young voters.
A History Shunning Scrutiny
Choosing secrecy aligns with a longstanding habit of evading uncomfortable facts. It echoes a dynamic where nearly all elected Democrat in Congress acquiesced to a sitting president's decision for seeking another term until a disastrous public debate performance compelled a change.
Meanwhile, overwhelming numbers of Democratic voters had been repeatedly informing surveyors of their opposition to that candidate to run again.
Financial Questions
A substantive analysis would also examine matters regarding campaign spending, including how much money were directed to insider consultants and ad buyers over the course of a campaign that managed to spend a colossal war chest in a short period.
The Broader Problem
At its core, the secrecy surrounding this report is symptomatic of an allegiance toward party leaders who engineered a losing electoral effort. The implication for the party's base – which includes countless small donors – is that they do not have a right to understand the lessons the insiders have learned based on a report drawing from conversations with insiders.
An organization incapable to honestly assess where it went wrong finds it difficult to escape the cycle which was so helpful to their opponents.
