This move from the Democratic National Committee to withhold the release regarding its own post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race appears remarkable however to be expected. Resistant to frank assessments, the party's leadership apparatus often functions closer to a publicity machine than a political organization focused on cultivating a volunteer base to secure victories.
A Culture Resistant to Internal Critique
Hesitant to challenge the prevailing attitude of conformity, the DNC has remained under that legacy throughout this past year. Releasing the findings could have demonstrated that the leadership truly desire to promote open debate about the missteps that paved the way for Donald Trump to return to the White House. Yet, the leadership is moving forward as if there is little to glean from the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.
The top priority: does this help us win? Should the answer be negative, it becomes a sideline issue from what truly matters," an explanation reportedly given for withholding the report.
Major Failures an Autopsy Might Have Explored
Any valuable post-mortem of substance would tackle head-on certain uncomfortable matters. This encompasses:
- Electoral Alienation: Losing of a significant portion of the electorate who voted for the party's candidate during the previous election was decisive in the narrowly decided recent race.
- The Choice to Run: The unwavering choice by the incumbent to run again, coupled with a very late step-aside, is seen by some as denying the party's base the chance for a genuine choice.
- Failing Core Democratic Voters: While facing rising costs, the electoral effort is criticized for ceding to corporate donors' interests and not managing to challenge the effects of profit-seeking.
- The Foreign Policy Effect: The refusal to reconsider a stance on a major international conflict reportedly led to alienating key demographic groups, particularly with youth voters, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
- Eroding Youth Support: Polling data demonstrates a major decline of support for the party from the youth electorate.
A History Shunning Scrutiny
The decision to withhold fits a pattern of sidestepping hard truths. It recalls an episode where nearly all Democratic officeholder in Congress acquiesced to an incumbent's insistence on seeking another term until a disastrous campaign event compelled a change.
Meanwhile, a significant majority within the party's base had been continually telling researchers that they did not want that candidate to be the nominee.
Campaign Spending Concerns
A substantive analysis could examine questions regarding where money went, including the amounts were directed to insider consultants and ad buyers during an electoral effort that burned through a colossal war chest during the general election.
A Broader Problem
At its core, the suppression surrounding this report highlights a submission toward the established hierarchy who engineered a disastrous electoral effort. The message to the party's base – including countless loyal volunteers – appears to be that they cannot have a right to know the lessons the leadership say they discovered from a report based on extensive interviews.
A party incapable to publicly examine its own failings will struggle to escape the cycle which was so advantageous to the rival party.
