The action by the DNC to withhold the release regarding its own autopsy report concerning the last presidential race seems shocking yet not surprising. Opposed to hard truths, the party's leadership apparatus behaves more like a PR firm rather than an electoral entity focused on building a volunteer base for winning elections.
An Environment of Conformity
Reluctant to depart from the prevailing attitude of conformity, the DNC has remained within that legacy all through this past year. Making public the findings could have demonstrated that the leadership are interested to encourage open debate regarding the strategic failures which allowed the former president to return to the White House. However, the leadership is moving forward as if there is little to be learned following the stunning loss from the last cycle.
The top priority: will this lead to victory? If not, it is an unnecessary diversion from our fundamental goal," a rationale reportedly given for withholding the analysis.
Major Failures a Report Could Have Examined
Any valuable post-mortem worth its salt would not dodge a series of difficult topics. These include:
- Voter Alienation: Failing to retain of a significant portion of the electorate who supported the party's candidate in 2020 was decisive in the close recent race.
- A Choice to Seek Re-election: The determined choice by the incumbent to stay in the race, and an extremely delayed step-aside, has been criticized as denying the party's base the chance for a genuine choice.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: While facing inflation, the campaign allegedly bowing to elite contributors while failing to confront the impact of big business.
- The Foreign Policy Factor: An unwillingness to shift a policy position on a major international conflict reportedly led to alienating many voters, especially among youth voters, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans.
- Eroding Youth Backing: Extensive evidence indicates a major drop-off in Democratic support from young voters.
A Record Avoiding Accountability
Choosing secrecy fits a longstanding habit of sidestepping uncomfortable facts. It echoes a situation where nearly all Democratic officeholder in Congress supported an incumbent's determination to seeking another term until a catastrophic televised debate forced an exit.
Meanwhile, overwhelming numbers of the electorate had been consistently telling researchers of their opposition to that candidate to seek re-election.
Financial Questions
An honest autopsy might also examine issues regarding campaign spending, including the amounts were directed to high-priced advisors as well as media firms during a campaign that burned through an enormous amount during the general election.
A Larger Implication
Ultimately, the blockage regarding the analysis is symptomatic of a deference to the established hierarchy that oversaw an unsuccessful presidential campaign. The message for the party's base – including countless small donors – appears to be that they do not have a right to see the lessons party chiefs say they discovered based on hundreds of interviews compiled from feedback from all states.
A party incapable to honestly assess where it went wrong is unlikely to break free from the cycle which was so beneficial to the rival party.
