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This decision from the DNC to block the publication of its own post-election analysis on the 2024 election seems remarkable however to be expected. Resistant to hard truths, the Democrats' governing body often functions closer to a PR firm than an electoral entity committed to building local power for winning elections.

A Culture That Avoids Dissent

Reluctant to break with the party establishment's culture demanding unity, the DNC has stayed under that legacy throughout this past year. Publishing the findings might have shown whether the leadership actually want to encourage public discourse about the errors which allowed the former president to return to the White House. Yet, the DNC is proceeding as if there's nothing to understand following the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.

Our guiding principle: will this lead to victory? If not, it is an unnecessary diversion from the core mission," an explanation which was presented to justify concealing the report.

Key Issues a Report Could Have Addressed

Any valuable post-mortem of substance would tackle head-on a series of difficult topics. Among them are:

• Voter Disenchantment: The loss among a significant portion of the electorate who voted for the Democratic ticket in 2020 was decisive in the narrowly decided 2024 election.
• The Insistence to Run: The unwavering decision by a party leader to seek re-election, and a last-minute withdrawal, has been criticized as denying the party's base the chance for open primaries.
• Failing the Working-Class Base: While facing inflation, the campaign allegedly accommodating corporate donors' interests while failing to confront the role of corporate greed.
• A Gaza Impact: An unwillingness to shift a stance concerning a major international conflict is cited as alienating significant blocs, especially among young people, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
• Eroding Young Voter Support: Extensive evidence indicates a huge drop-off in support for the party from young voters.

A Record Avoiding Accountability

The decision to withhold fits a longstanding habit to avoid hard truths. This mirrors an episode where nearly all elected Democrat in Congress acquiesced to an incumbent's decision for seeking another term until a disastrous campaign event forced a change.

Meanwhile, overwhelming numbers of the electorate had been repeatedly informing pollsters that they opposed the incumbent to seek re-election.

Campaign Spending Questions

A thorough autopsy would also examine issues about campaign spending, such as how much money went to party strategists and advertising contractors over the course of a campaign that burned through a colossal war chest during the general election.

The Broader Problem

At its core, the blockage of the official autopsy is symptomatic of a submission toward the existing power structure responsible for a disastrous national race. The message for rank-and-file members – including millions of small donors – is that they do not have a right to see the lessons the leadership say they discovered based on an analysis compiled from conversations with insiders.

A political entity unwilling to critically review its own failings finds it difficult to escape the pattern that ended up being so helpful to the winning candidate.