The decision by the DNC to withhold the publication of its internal autopsy report concerning the last presidential race appears remarkable yet not surprising. Opposed to frank assessments, the party's leadership apparatus behaves more like a communications shop than a political organization committed to building local power for winning elections.
An Environment That Avoids Dissent
Unwilling to challenge the party establishment's culture demanding unity, the DNC has stayed within the influence of the previous administration all through this past year. Making public such a report could have demonstrated that party leaders are interested to foster honest conversation regarding the errors which allowed Donald Trump to return to the White House. Instead, the leadership is moving forward under the pretense that there are no lessons to be learned from the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.
The top priority: does this help us win? If not, it’s a distraction from what truly matters," an explanation reportedly given to justify concealing the analysis.
Key Issues an Autopsy Would Have Addressed
Any valuable post-mortem with any value would confront key points of failure. Among them are:
- Voter Disenchantment: Failing to retain among millions of voters that backed the party's candidate in 2020 became a critical factor in the close recent race.
- A Choice to Run: The stubborn decision of the incumbent to stay in the race, coupled with a very late withdrawal, is viewed as denying Democratic voters the chance for a competitive nomination process.
- Losing Touch With Everyday Americans: Amid economic anxiety, the campaign allegedly bowing to corporate donors' interests and not managing to confront the role of big business.
- A Foreign Policy Impact: The failure to shift a stance on a ongoing war reportedly led to driving away significant blocs, notably with young people, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
- A Decline in Young Voter Backing: Research shows a huge drop-off of Democratic support from young voters.
A Pattern Avoiding Accountability
The decision to withhold is consistent with a recurring tendency of sidestepping uncomfortable facts. This mirrors a situation where virtually every elected Democrat in Washington supported a sitting president's decision for running for re-election until a catastrophic public debate performance led to an exit.
At the same time, overwhelming numbers within the party's base were repeatedly informing researchers of their opposition to the incumbent to be the nominee.
Campaign Spending Issues
A substantive autopsy might also investigate issues about where money went, including how much money flowed to insider consultants and advertising contractors during a campaign which expended a colossal amount in a short period.
The Broader Problem
Fundamentally, the secrecy regarding the analysis highlights a submission to party leaders responsible for a disastrous national race. The signal for rank-and-file members – which includes millions of small donors – appears to be that they do not be trusted to see what the leadership claim to have learned from a report compiled from extensive interviews.
A political entity incapable to honestly assess its mistakes is unlikely to escape the cycle which was so advantageous to the rival party.
