The decision from the DNC to withhold the public viewing of its internal post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race is stunning yet entirely predictable. Resistant to unpleasant candor, the Democrats' governing body behaves more like a publicity machine than an electoral entity committed to cultivating grassroots capacities capable of prevailing at the polls.
A Culture That Avoids Dissent
Unwilling to challenge the party establishment's culture of conformity, the committee has continued within that legacy throughout this past year. Publishing such a report would have indicated whether party leaders truly desire to foster public discourse regarding the missteps which allowed Donald Trump to return to the White House. Yet, the DNC is proceeding under the pretense that there are no lessons to be learned from the tragic debacle from the last cycle.
Our guiding principle: is this good for winning elections? If the answer is no, it is an unnecessary diversion from our fundamental goal," an explanation reportedly given for withholding the document.
Key Issues an Autopsy Might Have Examined
A genuine analysis of substance would not dodge a series of difficult topics. Among them are:
- Voter Alienation: Failing to retain of millions of voters that backed the party's candidate during the previous election became a critical factor in the close recent race.
- A Decision to Seek Re-election: The unwavering insistence of a party leader to stay in the race, alongside a very late withdrawal, is viewed as denying Democratic voters the chance for a genuine choice.
- Failing Everyday Americans: Amid rising costs, the campaign allegedly ceding to elite contributors and not managing to address the effects of big business.
- A Foreign Policy Impact: An unwillingness to adjust an approach regarding a major international conflict is cited as losing many voters, particularly with young people, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
- Losing Young Voter Allegiance: Research demonstrates a significant drop-off of support for the party among young voters.
A Record Avoiding Accountability
This refusal aligns with a recurring tendency of evading uncomfortable facts. This mirrors an episode where nearly all Democratic officeholder in Washington supported a sitting president's insistence on seeking another term until a poor public debate performance forced a reversal.
Meanwhile, overwhelming numbers of Democratic voters were consistently telling pollsters of their opposition to the incumbent to seek re-election.
Financial Questions
An honest analysis would also probe questions about where money went, including the amounts went to insider consultants as well as ad buyers over the course of a campaign that burned through a staggering amount in a short period.
The Larger Problem
Fundamentally, the secrecy regarding the analysis highlights an allegiance to the existing power structure responsible for a disastrous national race. The implication to ordinary supporters – which includes millions of loyal volunteers – is that they cannot be trusted to see the lessons the leadership say they discovered based on an analysis drawing from extensive interviews.
A political entity unable to publicly examine its mistakes will struggle to escape the cycle that proved so beneficial to the winning candidate.
