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This decision from the DNC to suppress the public viewing of its internal post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race seems stunning however entirely predictable. Averse to frank assessments, the DNC operates more like a publicity machine rather than an electoral entity devoted to cultivating a volunteer base capable of prevailing at the polls.

A Culture That Avoids Dissent

Unwilling to depart from the prevailing attitude demanding unity, the committee has remained under the Biden-Harris shadow all through this past year. Publishing an official autopsy could have demonstrated that party leaders actually want to encourage public discourse about the missteps that enabled the former president to win re-election. Instead, the committee is acting under the pretense that there's nothing to understand following the tragic debacle from the last cycle.

"Here’s our North Star: will this lead to victory? Should the answer be negative, it becomes a sideline issue from what truly matters," a justification that has been offered to justify concealing the document.

Critical Problems a Report Would Have Addressed

Any valuable post-mortem worth its salt would not dodge certain uncomfortable matters. These include:

• Electoral Disenchantment: Losing among a significant portion of the electorate who supported the Democratic ticket during the previous election proved pivotal in the close recent race.
• The Decision to Seek Re-election: The unwavering insistence of the incumbent to seek re-election, and an extremely delayed exit, is seen by some as denying Democratic voters of open primaries.
• Abandoning the Working-Class Base: During a time of inflation, the electoral effort is criticized for ceding to corporate donors' interests while failing to confront the effects of big business.
• A Foreign Policy Impact: The failure to adjust a stance concerning a major international conflict is cited as driving away key demographic groups, especially among youth voters, Arab-Americans, Muslim voters.
• A Decline in Young Voter Allegiance: Research shows a significant drop-off in Democratic support among the youth electorate.

A History Avoiding Accountability

Choosing secrecy is consistent with a recurring tendency of evading hard truths. It echoes a situation in which nearly all elected Democrat in Congress acquiesced to a sitting president's determination to seeking another term right up until a catastrophic public debate performance forced a reversal.

At the same time, overwhelming numbers within the party's base were continually telling pollsters of their opposition to the incumbent to be the nominee.

Campaign Spending Concerns

A thorough analysis could examine matters about campaign spending, including the amounts went to party strategists as well as advertising contractors during an electoral effort that burned through a staggering sum during the general election.

The Larger Problem

At its core, the secrecy regarding the analysis is symptomatic of a deference toward party leaders who engineered a disastrous presidential campaign. The implication to rank-and-file members – which includes countless dedicated activists – is that they cannot have a right to understand what party chiefs say they discovered from a report drawing from feedback from all states.

A party incapable to critically review its mistakes finds it difficult to break free from the pattern which was so advantageous to their opponents.