This decision from the DNC to withhold the public viewing of its own post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race appears shocking however not surprising. Opposed to unpleasant candor, the Democrats' governing body operates closer to a communications shop rather than a political organization focused on cultivating grassroots capacities to secure victories.
A Culture of Conformity
Reluctant to break with the prevailing attitude demanding unity, the DNC has stayed under that legacy all through this past year. Publishing an official autopsy could have demonstrated that party leaders actually want to foster public discourse regarding the strategic failures which allowed Donald Trump to return to the White House. However, the leadership is moving forward as if there are no lessons to understand from the stunning loss from the last cycle.
The top priority: will this lead to victory? Should the answer be negative, it’s a distraction from our fundamental goal," an explanation which was presented to justify concealing the report.
Key Issues an Analysis Might Have Addressed
A genuine analysis worth its salt would confront key points of failure. This encompasses:
- Voter Disengagement: Losing among a significant portion of the electorate who supported the Democratic ticket during the previous election proved pivotal in the narrowly decided recent race.
- The Insistence to Seek Re-election: The determined insistence of the incumbent to seek re-election, alongside a last-minute exit, is viewed as denying Democratic voters of open primaries.
- Losing Touch With the Working-Class Base: While facing rising costs, the campaign is criticized for accommodating corporate donors' interests while failing to confront the role of big business.
- The Foreign Policy Effect: An unwillingness to shift an approach on a ongoing war is cited as alienating key demographic groups, notably among youth voters, Arab-Americans, Muslim voters.
- A Decline in Youth Support: Polling data demonstrates a huge decrease of Democratic support among voters aged 18-29.
A Pattern Avoiding Accountability
The decision to withhold fits a longstanding habit of evading uncomfortable facts. This mirrors an episode in which the vast majority of Democratic officeholder in Congress supported a sitting president's determination to seeking another term until a disastrous campaign event compelled an exit.
Meanwhile, a significant majority of the electorate had been continually telling researchers that they opposed that candidate to seek re-election.
Campaign Spending Issues
A thorough autopsy could investigate matters about where money went, such as how much money flowed to insider consultants and ad buyers during a campaign which expended a staggering sum during the general election.
A Larger Problem
At its core, the secrecy regarding the analysis highlights a submission to party leaders that oversaw an unsuccessful national race. The signal for rank-and-file members – including countless small donors – is that they do not be trusted to see what the leadership have learned from an analysis based on conversations with insiders.
An organization unwilling to critically review its own failings will struggle to climb out of the rut that ended up being so helpful to the winning candidate.
