The decision from the DNC to suppress the release of its internal post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race appears remarkable but to be expected. Opposed to frank assessments, the Democrats' governing body operates closer to a communications shop than a political organization committed to building grassroots capacities to secure victories.
A Culture of Conformity
Unwilling to break with the party establishment's culture of conformity, the DNC has continued under the Biden-Harris shadow throughout this past year. Releasing an official autopsy would have indicated whether the leadership truly desire to foster public discourse about the missteps which allowed Donald Trump to become president again. Yet, the DNC is proceeding under the pretense that there's nothing to be learned from the tragic debacle from the last cycle.
"Here’s our North Star: will this lead to victory? If not, it becomes a sideline issue from what truly matters," a justification which was presented for withholding the document.
Critical Problems a Report Could Have Addressed
An autopsy report worth its salt would confront key points of failure. This encompasses:
- Voter Disengagement: The loss of millions of voters that backed the Democratic ticket during the previous election was decisive during the tight recent race.
- A Insistence to Seek Re-election: The stubborn choice by the incumbent to stay in the race, alongside an extremely delayed withdrawal, has been criticized as denying Democratic voters the chance for a competitive nomination process.
- Losing Touch With Everyday Americans: While facing rising costs, the campaign allegedly bowing to elite contributors while failing to challenge the impact of big business.
- The Foreign Policy Factor: An unwillingness to adjust an approach concerning the situation in Gaza is cited as driving away key demographic groups, particularly among young people, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans.
- A Decline in Youth Backing: Research indicates a major decrease in votes for the candidate from voters aged 18-29.
A Pattern of Evasion
The decision to withhold fits a longstanding habit to avoid uncomfortable facts. It echoes a dynamic in which virtually every elected Democrat in Washington acquiesced to an incumbent's determination to running for re-election until a catastrophic televised debate forced a reversal.
At the same time, large majorities of the electorate were consistently telling pollsters that they opposed that candidate to be the nominee.
Campaign Spending Issues
A substantive analysis might also investigate questions regarding campaign spending, such as the amounts went to high-priced advisors as well as media firms during an electoral effort which expended a staggering amount over a few months.
A Broader Problem
Fundamentally, the secrecy regarding the analysis is symptomatic of a submission to party leaders responsible for a losing national race. The signal to ordinary supporters – which includes countless small donors – is that they cannot have a right to know the lessons party chiefs claim to have learned from hundreds of interviews based on feedback from all states.
A party unable to honestly assess its mistakes will struggle to escape the rut which was so helpful to their opponents.
