This move by the Democratic National Committee to withhold the public viewing of its internal autopsy report concerning the last presidential race is shocking but not surprising. Averse to frank assessments, the DNC operates more like a communications shop rather than an electoral entity committed to cultivating a volunteer base to secure victories.
A Culture of Conformity
Unwilling to depart from the party establishment's culture of conformity, the DNC has continued within the Biden-Harris shadow all through this past year. Releasing an official autopsy might have shown whether the leadership are interested to promote public discourse about the missteps that enabled the former president to return to the White House. Yet, the leadership is moving forward as if there is little to be learned following the tragic debacle from the last cycle.
"Here’s our North Star: will this lead to victory? If the answer is no, it becomes a sideline issue from the core mission," a rationale that has been offered for withholding the analysis.
Critical Problems an Autopsy Might Have Explored
Any valuable post-mortem of substance would not dodge a series of difficult topics. Among them are:
- Voter Disenchantment: The loss among millions of voters who supported the Democratic ticket during the previous election became a critical factor in the close recent race.
- A Decision to Run: The determined insistence of the incumbent to stay in the race, coupled with a last-minute exit, is seen by some as denying Democratic voters of a genuine choice.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: During a time of inflation, the electoral effort allegedly accommodating elite contributors without successfully attempting to challenge the impact of profit-seeking.
- A Foreign Policy Factor: An unwillingness to adjust a policy position concerning a ongoing war is cited as losing many voters, notably with youth voters, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans.
- Losing Young Voter Allegiance: Polling data indicates a huge drop-off in votes for the candidate among young voters.
A Record Shunning Scrutiny
This refusal is consistent with a longstanding habit of sidestepping difficult realities. It recalls an episode where virtually every Democratic officeholder in Congress went along with an incumbent's determination to running for re-election right up until a disastrous televised debate forced an exit.
At the same time, overwhelming numbers of the electorate were continually telling researchers of their opposition to the incumbent to seek re-election.
Campaign Spending Concerns
A substantive analysis would also examine issues about where money went, such as how much money went to insider consultants and media firms during an electoral effort which expended an enormous sum over a few months.
A Underlying Issue
At its core, the blockage of the official autopsy highlights a submission toward the existing power structure responsible for a disastrous electoral effort. The message to the party's base – which includes countless dedicated activists – appears to be that they cannot be trusted to understand what the leadership have learned from hundreds of interviews based on feedback from all states.
An organization unable to honestly assess its mistakes finds it difficult to climb out of the pattern which was so helpful to the rival party.
