This decision by the DNC to withhold the release regarding its own post-election analysis on the last presidential race is remarkable but to be expected. Averse to unpleasant candor, the DNC operates more like a communications shop rather than a political organization committed to building local power for winning elections.
An Environment Resistant to Internal Critique
Reluctant to break with the prevailing attitude demanding unity, the committee has continued under the influence of the previous administration all through this past year. Making public an official autopsy could have demonstrated that the leadership are interested to promote open debate regarding the missteps that enabled the former president to win re-election. However, the committee is acting as if there are no lessons to understand following the stunning loss from the last cycle.
The top priority: does this help us win? If not, it is an unnecessary diversion from our fundamental goal," a rationale that has been offered to justify concealing the document.
Major Failures an Analysis Might Have Explored
A genuine analysis of substance would tackle head-on certain uncomfortable matters. Among them are:
- Voter Disengagement: The loss among millions of voters who voted for the party's candidate during the previous election became a critical factor during the tight recent race.
- The Decision to Seek Re-election: The unwavering choice by the incumbent to run again, coupled with a very late step-aside, is seen by some as robbing Democratic voters the chance for a competitive nomination process.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: During a time of economic anxiety, the campaign allegedly ceding to corporate donors' interests while failing to challenge the role of big business.
- The Foreign Policy Impact: The failure to reconsider a policy position regarding a major international conflict reportedly led to alienating significant blocs, especially with youth voters, Arab-Americans, Muslim voters.
- A Decline in Youth Support: Polling data indicates a huge drop-off in votes for the candidate from voters aged 18-29.
A Pattern of Evasion
Choosing secrecy is consistent with a pattern to avoid uncomfortable facts. It echoes an episode in which the vast majority of elected Democrat in Washington supported a sitting president's insistence on seeking another term right up until a catastrophic campaign event forced an exit.
Concurrently, a significant majority of Democratic voters had been repeatedly informing researchers that they did not want that candidate to be the nominee.
Financial Issues
A substantive analysis might also examine questions about financial allocations, including what sums flowed to high-priced advisors and ad buyers during a campaign that managed to spend an enormous amount during the general election.
A Broader Issue
Fundamentally, the secrecy of the official autopsy points to a deference toward the established hierarchy who engineered a losing national race. The signal to the party's base – which includes millions of dedicated activists – is that they cannot have a right to understand what the leadership say they discovered from an analysis compiled from extensive interviews.
A political entity unable to critically review its own failings finds it difficult to break free from the rut which was so beneficial to their opponents.
