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This move by the Democratic National Committee to suppress the release regarding its internal post-election analysis concerning the last presidential race seems stunning however entirely predictable. Resistant to frank assessments, the Democrats' governing body often functions closer to a PR firm than an electoral entity devoted to building local power capable of prevailing at the polls.

A Culture Resistant to Internal Critique

Hesitant to depart from the party establishment's culture of conformity, the committee has remained under that legacy throughout this past year. Making public the findings might have shown that party leaders actually want to promote public discourse regarding the strategic failures which allowed the former president to return to the White House. Yet, the DNC is proceeding under the pretense that there's nothing to be learned following the tragic debacle from the last cycle.

"Here’s our North Star: is this good for winning elections? If the answer is no, it becomes a sideline issue from what truly matters," a justification reportedly given for withholding the document.

Major Failures an Analysis Would Have Addressed

A genuine analysis worth its salt would confront a series of difficult topics. These include:

• Electoral Alienation: Failing to retain of a significant portion of the electorate that backed the party's candidate in 2020 became a critical factor in the narrowly decided recent race.
• The Decision to Seek Re-election: The determined insistence by the incumbent to seek re-election, and an extremely delayed withdrawal, is seen by some as robbing Democratic voters of a competitive nomination process.
• Failing Everyday Americans: Amid inflation, the campaign allegedly accommodating powerful financial backers and not managing to challenge the effects of corporate greed.
• A Gaza Impact: The refusal to adjust a stance concerning a ongoing war is cited as losing many voters, especially among young people, Arab American communities, Muslim voters.
• Losing Youth Backing: Research demonstrates a major drop-off in Democratic support from young voters.

A Pattern Avoiding Accountability

This refusal fits a longstanding habit of sidestepping difficult realities. It recalls a situation in which virtually every elected Democrat in Congress acquiesced to a sitting president's insistence on seeking another term right up until a poor televised debate forced a change.

At the same time, large majorities of the electorate had been continually telling pollsters that they opposed the incumbent to run again.

Campaign Spending Concerns

A substantive report might also examine issues regarding campaign spending, including the amounts were directed to high-priced advisors as well as ad buyers during a campaign that managed to spend a colossal sum over a few months.

The Underlying Issue

Fundamentally, the secrecy surrounding this report is symptomatic of a deference to the existing power structure responsible for a disastrous national race. The message for ordinary supporters – including countless dedicated activists – appears to be that they do not have a right to see what party chiefs claim to have learned from hundreds of interviews based on conversations with insiders.

An organization unwilling to critically review its own failings will struggle to climb out of the cycle which was so beneficial to their opponents.