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The move by the Democratic National Committee to block the publication regarding its internal autopsy report concerning the last presidential race appears shocking but entirely predictable. Resistant to unpleasant candor, the DNC often functions more like a communications shop rather than a political organization committed to cultivating a volunteer base to secure victories.

An Environment of Conformity

Unwilling to challenge the prevailing attitude demanding unity, the committee has remained within the influence of the previous administration throughout this past year. Publishing the findings might have shown that the leadership actually want to promote open debate about the strategic failures that enabled the former president to become president again. However, the leadership is moving forward under the pretense that there are no lessons to be learned from the electoral catastrophe from the last cycle.

Our guiding principle: does this help us win? If not, it’s a distraction from our fundamental goal," a rationale which was presented to justify concealing the analysis.

Critical Problems an Autopsy Could Have Explored

An autopsy report worth its salt would confront certain uncomfortable matters. These include:

• Voter Disengagement: Losing of a significant portion of the electorate who voted for the Democratic ticket during the previous election proved pivotal during the tight recent race.
• The Choice to Seek Re-election: The unwavering decision by the incumbent to seek re-election, alongside an extremely delayed withdrawal, is viewed as robbing Democratic voters the chance for a genuine choice.
• Abandoning the Working-Class Base: During a time of rising costs, the campaign is criticized for accommodating powerful financial backers and not managing to address the role of corporate greed.
• The Foreign Policy Effect: An unwillingness to reconsider an approach concerning a major international conflict reportedly led to driving away significant blocs, especially with young people, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans.
• A Decline in Young Voter Backing: Research shows a major decrease in support for the party among young voters.

A History of Evasion

The decision to withhold is consistent with a pattern of sidestepping hard truths. It recalls a situation in which the vast majority of Democratic officeholder in Congress went along with a sitting president's insistence on seeking another term right up until a catastrophic public debate performance forced a reversal.

Meanwhile, large majorities within the party's base were continually telling pollsters that they opposed the incumbent to run again.

Financial Issues

An honest report might also examine matters regarding where money went, including what sums went to party strategists as well as ad buyers over the course of a campaign that managed to spend a staggering amount over a few months.

A Underlying Implication

Fundamentally, the secrecy of the official autopsy points to a submission toward party leaders who engineered a losing electoral effort. The implication to the party's base – including countless dedicated activists – is that they do not be trusted to know what the insiders have learned from an analysis compiled from extensive interviews.

A party unwilling to honestly assess where it went wrong finds it difficult to break free from the cycle that proved so helpful to their opponents.