The move from the Democratic National Committee to suppress the publication of its own post-election analysis on the last presidential race is shocking yet to be expected. Opposed to frank assessments, the DNC often functions closer to a PR firm than an electoral entity focused on building a volunteer base capable of prevailing at the polls.
An Environment of Conformity
Reluctant to depart from the prevailing attitude of conformity, the committee has remained within that legacy all through this past year. Making public an official autopsy could have demonstrated whether party leaders actually want to foster open debate about the strategic failures which allowed Donald Trump to win re-election. Instead, the DNC is proceeding as if there's nothing to glean following the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.
Our guiding principle: is this good for winning elections? If not, it’s a distraction from what truly matters," a justification reportedly given for withholding the analysis.
Critical Problems a Report Could Have Addressed
Any valuable post-mortem of substance would not dodge certain uncomfortable matters. These include:
- Electoral Disengagement: Failing to retain among a significant portion of the electorate that backed the Democratic ticket in 2020 became a critical factor in the close recent race.
- The Choice to Seek Re-election: The stubborn choice of the incumbent to run again, coupled with a very late exit, is seen by some as denying the party's base of a genuine choice.
- Losing Touch With Everyday Americans: During a time of inflation, the campaign allegedly ceding to elite contributors while failing to confront the impact of big business.
- The Foreign Policy Factor: An unwillingness to shift an approach concerning a major international conflict allegedly caused driving away significant blocs, particularly with youth voters, Arab-Americans, Muslim voters.
- Losing Young Voter Backing: Research demonstrates a huge decrease of Democratic support among the youth electorate.
A History Shunning Scrutiny
Choosing secrecy is consistent with a pattern of evading difficult realities. This mirrors an episode in which virtually every elected Democrat in Congress supported an incumbent's decision for seeking another term until a disastrous public debate performance compelled a reversal.
Concurrently, large majorities of the electorate had been continually telling pollsters that they did not want that candidate to seek re-election.
Campaign Spending Concerns
A substantive analysis might also examine questions about where money went, such as what sums went to insider consultants as well as ad buyers during a campaign that burned through a staggering sum over a few months.
A Underlying Implication
At its core, the secrecy of the official autopsy highlights a deference to the established hierarchy that oversaw an unsuccessful presidential campaign. The message for the party's base – which includes countless dedicated activists – appears to be that they do not be trusted to understand the lessons the insiders have learned based on an analysis drawing from conversations with insiders.
A political entity unable to critically review its own failings finds it difficult to escape the rut which was so helpful to their opponents.
