The action from the Democratic National Committee to suppress the publication of its own autopsy report on the 2024 election is remarkable however not surprising. Opposed to hard truths, the DNC behaves closer to a publicity machine than an electoral entity committed to building a volunteer base to secure victories.
A Culture That Avoids Dissent
Unwilling to break with the prevailing attitude demanding unity, the DNC has remained within the Biden-Harris shadow throughout this past year. Publishing such a report could have demonstrated that party leaders actually want to foster open debate about the errors that enabled the former president to become president again. Yet, the leadership is moving forward as if there is little to be learned following the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.
The top priority: is this good for winning elections? If the answer is no, it is an unnecessary diversion from what truly matters," a rationale which was presented for withholding the document.
Key Issues an Autopsy Would Have Addressed
Any valuable post-mortem with any value would not dodge certain uncomfortable matters. This encompasses:
- Voter Disengagement: The loss of a significant portion of the electorate who voted for the party's candidate in 2020 became a critical factor in the close 2024 election.
- A Choice to Run: The unwavering insistence of the incumbent to seek re-election, alongside an extremely delayed withdrawal, has been criticized as denying Democratic voters the chance for open primaries.
- Abandoning Core Democratic Voters: During a time of inflation, the electoral effort allegedly accommodating elite contributors and not managing to address the effects of corporate greed.
- A Gaza Effect: The failure to reconsider a stance regarding the situation in Gaza reportedly led to losing significant blocs, notably with young people, Arab-Americans, Muslim voters.
- A Decline in Young Voter Backing: Extensive evidence shows a major drop-off in Democratic support from voters aged 18-29.
A Record of Evasion
The decision to withhold is consistent with a longstanding habit of evading difficult realities. This mirrors a situation where the vast majority of Democratic officeholder in Congress supported an incumbent's determination to running for re-election until a disastrous televised debate forced a change.
At the same time, overwhelming numbers of the electorate were continually telling pollsters that they did not want the incumbent to seek re-election.
Campaign Spending Questions
A thorough autopsy might also investigate questions regarding financial allocations, such as what sums flowed to high-priced advisors and advertising contractors over the course of a campaign that managed to spend an enormous sum during the general election.
A Larger Problem
Fundamentally, the suppression surrounding this report is symptomatic of a submission to the existing power structure who engineered an unsuccessful national race. The message for the party's base – which includes millions of loyal volunteers – appears to be that they cannot be trusted to know what the leadership say they discovered from hundreds of interviews drawing from conversations with insiders.
A party unwilling to publicly examine its mistakes will struggle to escape the rut which was so helpful to the rival party.
