This move by the Democratic National Committee to suppress the release of its internal post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race appears stunning yet not surprising. Resistant to unpleasant candor, the Democrats' governing body often functions more like a communications shop rather than an electoral entity committed to cultivating a volunteer base for winning elections.
An Environment That Avoids Dissent
Reluctant to depart from the party establishment's culture demanding unity, the committee has remained within the Biden-Harris shadow all through this past year. Releasing the findings would have indicated whether the leadership truly desire to promote public discourse about the missteps which allowed Donald Trump to win re-election. Yet, the leadership is moving forward under the pretense that there are no lessons to glean following the stunning loss from the last cycle.
Our guiding principle: is this good for winning elections? If not, it’s a distraction from what truly matters," a rationale which was presented to justify concealing the report.
Critical Problems a Report Would Have Explored
A genuine analysis worth its salt would tackle head-on certain uncomfortable matters. Among them are:
- Electoral Disenchantment: Failing to retain among millions of voters who voted for the party's candidate in 2020 proved pivotal in the narrowly decided recent race.
- The Decision to Run: The stubborn decision by a party leader to seek re-election, alongside a last-minute withdrawal, has been criticized as denying the party's base of open primaries.
- Abandoning the Working-Class Base: While facing economic anxiety, the campaign allegedly bowing to corporate donors' interests and not managing to address the effects of corporate greed.
- The Foreign Policy Impact: The refusal to adjust a stance on a ongoing war is cited as losing key demographic groups, notably among youth voters, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans.
- Losing Youth Allegiance: Extensive evidence shows a significant decline in support for the party from young voters.
A Pattern Shunning Scrutiny
This refusal fits a pattern to avoid difficult realities. It echoes a dynamic where nearly all elected Democrat in Washington went along with an incumbent's insistence on seeking another term until a catastrophic public debate performance compelled a reversal.
Meanwhile, large majorities within the party's base had been consistently telling researchers that they opposed that candidate to seek re-election.
Campaign Spending Questions
An honest autopsy might also investigate matters about where money went, including how much money were directed to high-priced advisors and ad buyers during an electoral effort which expended a colossal war chest during the general election.
A Broader Issue
At its core, the blockage surrounding this report points to a deference to the established hierarchy responsible for an unsuccessful presidential campaign. The implication to ordinary supporters – which includes millions of loyal volunteers – appears to be that they do not have a right to know the lessons party chiefs say they discovered from an analysis compiled from conversations with insiders.
An organization incapable to honestly assess its own failings is unlikely to climb out of the rut which was so helpful to their opponents.
