The action by the Democratic National Committee to block the release of its own autopsy report on the last presidential race seems stunning however not surprising. Resistant to unpleasant candor, the party's leadership apparatus operates more like a communications shop rather than a political organization focused on building grassroots capacities capable of prevailing at the polls.
A Climate Resistant to Internal Critique
Reluctant to break with the party establishment's culture of conformity, the committee has continued within the influence of the previous administration throughout this past year. Making public an official autopsy might have shown whether the leadership truly desire to promote public discourse regarding the missteps that paved the way for Donald Trump to become president again. Yet, the leadership is moving forward under the pretense that there is little to be learned from the stunning loss from the last cycle.
Our guiding principle: is this good for winning elections? If the answer is no, it becomes a sideline issue from our fundamental goal," a justification that has been offered for withholding the report.
Critical Problems an Autopsy Could Have Examined
An autopsy report worth its salt would confront a series of difficult topics. This encompasses:
- Voter Disenchantment: The loss of a significant portion of the electorate that backed the party's candidate during the previous election was decisive in the narrowly decided recent race.
- The Decision to Seek Re-election: The stubborn decision of a party leader to seek re-election, alongside a last-minute exit, is viewed as denying Democratic voters the chance for a competitive nomination process.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: Amid rising costs, the electoral effort is criticized for bowing to powerful financial backers while failing to address the effects of big business.
- The Gaza Impact: The refusal to shift a policy position on a ongoing war is cited as driving away significant blocs, especially among young people, Arab-Americans, Muslim voters.
- Eroding Youth Support: Research shows a significant drop-off of Democratic support among young voters.
A History Shunning Scrutiny
This refusal fits a recurring tendency of sidestepping difficult realities. This mirrors an episode where nearly all elected Democrat in Washington acquiesced to an incumbent's decision for running for re-election right up until a catastrophic campaign event led to a reversal.
Concurrently, a significant majority of Democratic voters were continually telling researchers of their opposition to the incumbent to run again.
Campaign Spending Questions
A thorough analysis would also probe questions about where money went, such as the amounts were directed to insider consultants and advertising contractors over the course of a campaign that managed to spend a colossal amount in a short period.
The Larger Issue
Fundamentally, the suppression surrounding this report points to an allegiance to party leaders who engineered an unsuccessful national race. The signal to rank-and-file members – including millions of dedicated activists – appears to be that they do not be trusted to know what the insiders say they discovered based on a report based on feedback from all states.
An organization unable to publicly examine its own failings is unlikely to climb out of the cycle which was so advantageous to their opponents.
