The move from the Democratic National Committee to suppress the public viewing regarding its internal autopsy report on the last presidential race seems stunning yet entirely predictable. Resistant to unpleasant candor, the party's leadership apparatus behaves closer to a PR firm than a political organization devoted to cultivating a volunteer base for winning elections.
A Culture That Avoids Dissent
Reluctant to depart from the party establishment's culture demanding unity, the DNC has continued under the Biden-Harris shadow throughout this past year. Publishing such a report could have demonstrated whether the leadership are interested to foster open debate about the missteps which allowed the former president to return to the White House. Instead, the DNC is proceeding as if there is little to understand from the tragic debacle of 2024.
"Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? Should the answer be negative, it’s a distraction from what truly matters," a justification reportedly given for withholding the document.
Critical Problems a Report Might Have Examined
An autopsy report with any value would confront key points of failure. This encompasses:
- Electoral Alienation: The loss of a significant portion of the electorate who voted for the party's candidate during the previous election proved pivotal in the narrowly decided recent race.
- The Decision to Run: The stubborn choice by the incumbent to seek re-election, alongside a last-minute withdrawal, is seen by some as denying Democratic voters the chance for open primaries.
- Failing Core Democratic Voters: Amid rising costs, the electoral effort allegedly accommodating elite contributors and not managing to challenge the impact of big business.
- The Foreign Policy Impact: The refusal to adjust an approach on the situation in Gaza allegedly caused driving away many voters, especially with young people, Arab American communities, and Muslim Americans.
- Losing Youth Backing: Extensive evidence shows a huge decline in support for the party among the youth electorate.
A History Shunning Scrutiny
This refusal is consistent with a recurring tendency to avoid difficult realities. It echoes an episode in which virtually every elected Democrat in Congress went along with a sitting president's determination to running for re-election until a poor televised debate compelled a reversal.
At the same time, overwhelming numbers within the party's base had been consistently telling pollsters that they did not want the incumbent to run again.
Financial Issues
A substantive report would also examine issues about where money went, such as what sums were directed to high-priced advisors and ad buyers during a campaign which expended an enormous war chest over a few months.
A Broader Implication
At its core, the suppression regarding the analysis points to an allegiance toward the established hierarchy that oversaw an unsuccessful national race. The implication for rank-and-file members – which includes countless dedicated activists – is that they do not be trusted to know what the insiders say they discovered from an analysis based on conversations with insiders.
An organization unable to critically review its mistakes is unlikely to climb out of the cycle which was so advantageous to their opponents.
