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The move by the DNC to withhold the release of its own post-election analysis on the 2024 election appears stunning however entirely predictable. Averse to unpleasant candor, the DNC behaves closer to a PR firm rather than an electoral entity devoted to cultivating grassroots capacities for winning elections.

A Climate That Avoids Dissent

Reluctant to break with the party establishment's culture demanding unity, the DNC has stayed within that legacy throughout this past year. Releasing an official autopsy could have demonstrated whether party leaders actually want to promote honest conversation regarding the strategic failures that enabled Donald Trump to become president again. However, the leadership is moving forward under the pretense that there's nothing to glean following the stunning loss from the last cycle.

The top priority: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it is an unnecessary diversion from what truly matters," a justification which was presented for withholding the report.

Major Failures an Autopsy Would Have Examined

Any valuable post-mortem with any value would tackle head-on key points of failure. Among them are:

• Electoral Alienation: The loss among a significant portion of the electorate that backed the Democratic ticket during the previous election became a critical factor in the narrowly decided recent race.
• The Decision to Run: The stubborn decision of a party leader to run again, and a very late withdrawal, is viewed as denying Democratic voters the chance for open primaries.
• Abandoning Everyday Americans: Amid inflation, the electoral effort reportedly accommodating corporate donors' interests and not managing to address the effects of profit-seeking.
• A Foreign Policy Impact: The refusal to shift a policy position regarding the situation in Gaza allegedly caused losing significant blocs, especially with youth voters, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
• Losing Young Voter Allegiance: Research demonstrates a huge decline of support for the party among young voters.

A History Avoiding Accountability

The decision to withhold fits a pattern to avoid difficult realities. It recalls an episode where virtually every Democratic officeholder in Congress acquiesced to an incumbent's determination to seeking another term right up until a poor campaign event led to an exit.

Meanwhile, large majorities within the party's base were repeatedly informing pollsters that they did not want that candidate to seek re-election.

Campaign Spending Concerns

An honest autopsy could investigate issues regarding campaign spending, including what sums went to party strategists and ad buyers over the course of a campaign which expended an enormous amount during the general election.

A Broader Issue

Ultimately, the secrecy of the official autopsy highlights a submission toward the existing power structure that oversaw an unsuccessful national race. The message for ordinary supporters – including countless dedicated activists – appears to be that they cannot have a right to know the lessons party chiefs say they discovered from hundreds of interviews compiled from conversations with insiders.

An organization unwilling to publicly examine where it went wrong will struggle to climb out of the pattern which was so advantageous to their opponents.