The move by the Democratic National Committee to withhold the public viewing regarding its own post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race appears remarkable however entirely predictable. Opposed to hard truths, the party's leadership apparatus operates closer to a publicity machine than an electoral entity devoted to building local power capable of prevailing at the polls.
A Culture That Avoids Dissent
Unwilling to depart from the prevailing attitude demanding unity, the DNC has remained under the influence of the previous administration throughout this past year. Making public an official autopsy would have indicated that the leadership are interested to promote public discourse about the errors that enabled the former president to become president again. Instead, the DNC is proceeding under the pretense that there is little to be learned following the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.
Our guiding principle: does this help us win? If not, it is an unnecessary diversion from what truly matters," an explanation reportedly given for withholding the analysis.
Critical Problems a Report Could Have Addressed
An autopsy report of substance would tackle head-on a series of difficult topics. Among them are:
- Voter Alienation: The loss of millions of voters who supported the party's candidate during the previous election proved pivotal in the close recent race.
- A Choice to Seek Re-election: The stubborn choice of the incumbent to stay in the race, and a last-minute withdrawal, is seen by some as denying Democratic voters the chance for a genuine choice.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: Amid inflation, the campaign allegedly ceding to powerful financial backers without successfully attempting to address the impact of profit-seeking.
- The Gaza Impact: An unwillingness to shift a policy position on a major international conflict allegedly caused losing key demographic groups, notably among youth voters, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
- Losing Youth Support: Polling data shows a significant decline in votes for the candidate among the youth electorate.
A Record Avoiding Accountability
This refusal fits a pattern of sidestepping difficult realities. It recalls a situation where the vast majority of Democratic officeholder in Congress went along with an incumbent's decision for seeking another term until a disastrous public debate performance led to a change.
Concurrently, overwhelming numbers within the party's base had been continually telling researchers of their opposition to the incumbent to run again.
Financial Questions
A substantive analysis could probe issues regarding where money went, such as how much money flowed to party strategists and ad buyers during an electoral effort that burned through a colossal war chest during the general election.
A Broader Implication
At its core, the blockage of the official autopsy is symptomatic of an allegiance to the existing power structure who engineered a disastrous electoral effort. The message for ordinary supporters – including millions of loyal volunteers – appears to be that they do not be trusted to know the lessons the insiders have learned from an analysis drawing from conversations with insiders.
An organization incapable to critically review where it went wrong is unlikely to break free from the rut that ended up being so helpful to the rival party.
