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This action from the Democratic National Committee to withhold the release of its own post-election analysis concerning the 2024 election is shocking but entirely predictable. Averse to hard truths, the Democrats' governing body behaves more like a publicity machine rather than a political organization devoted to building a volunteer base for winning elections.

A Climate of Conformity

Hesitant to break with the party establishment's culture of conformity, the DNC has remained under that legacy all through this past year. Making public an official autopsy could have demonstrated whether the leadership actually want to promote public discourse about the strategic failures that paved the way for the former president to win re-election. Instead, the committee is acting as if there's nothing to glean from the stunning loss of 2024.

"Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it is an unnecessary diversion from our fundamental goal," a rationale reportedly given for withholding the document.

Major Failures an Analysis Could Have Examined

A genuine analysis of substance would tackle head-on a series of difficult topics. Among them are:

• Voter Disenchantment: The loss of millions of voters who voted for the Democratic ticket during the previous election proved pivotal during the tight 2024 election.
• The Decision to Run: The stubborn insistence by a party leader to seek re-election, alongside an extremely delayed step-aside, is viewed as denying the party's base of a competitive nomination process.
• Failing Everyday Americans: During a time of inflation, the campaign reportedly accommodating elite contributors without successfully attempting to confront the impact of big business.
• The Foreign Policy Impact: The failure to adjust an approach on a major international conflict reportedly led to losing many voters, notably with youth voters, Arab American communities, and Muslim Americans.
• Losing Young Voter Support: Extensive evidence shows a significant drop-off in Democratic support among voters aged 18-29.

A Pattern Avoiding Accountability

This refusal is consistent with a recurring tendency of sidestepping difficult realities. This mirrors a dynamic where nearly all Democratic officeholder in Washington supported an incumbent's determination to running for re-election right up until a catastrophic public debate performance led to an exit.

Concurrently, large majorities of Democratic voters were repeatedly informing surveyors that they did not want that candidate to run again.

Financial Concerns

A thorough autopsy would also examine issues about where money went, such as what sums were directed to insider consultants and media firms during an electoral effort which expended a staggering war chest during the general election.

The Broader Problem

Ultimately, the secrecy surrounding this report points to an allegiance to party leaders responsible for a losing presidential campaign. The message to ordinary supporters – which includes millions of small donors – is that they cannot be trusted to know the lessons party chiefs have learned based on a report based on extensive interviews.

A party unwilling to publicly examine where it went wrong will struggle to climb out of the pattern that ended up being so helpful to the rival party.