After their 2012 defeat, Republicans went back to the drawing board (sort of) and set out to lay the groundwork for a political comeback. It happened. They gaffe-proofed their 2014 Senate candidates, retook the U.S. Senate proper, and kept the House. The red wave swept through Congress. Donald Trump not only won back the presidency, but also didn’t have any detrimental impact on down ticket races, which was the main concern—though Trump pretty much went against everything in the 2012 autopsy. The man, who is anathema to the consultant class, proved everyone wrong. So, what are the Democrats doing? They thought they could make inroads with Trump dragging down the ticket, a gross miscalculation. All we know is that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is handling the autopsy like the Roswell incident. The report, which was presented by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), has been kept under lock and key and it reportedly has to do with fundraising, data collection, and media outreach (via Politico):
Only about two-dozen lawmakers showed up for the presentation, which sources described as "dense but thorough." But members were not allowed to have copies of the report and may view it only under the watchful eyes of DCCC staff.The presentation didn't focus on Democratic messaging and instead was heavily skewed towards money -- how much the DCCC brings in, from where and how those funds are spent.
Some Democratic lawmakers and staffers complained that the cloak-and-dagger secrecy was overblown and actually makes the findings look worse than they are. But the DCCC is sticking by its strategy.
[…]
The report provides recommendations on how the DCCC should modernize its data collection and overhaul its media operation, according to sources who were briefed on it. The document is also said to criticize the organization for the lack of diversity in consultants whom the DCCC employs.
Another suggestion was how the DCCC operates during endorsed campaigns, which has been hammered for being way too “heavy handed.” The publication added that Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) also delivered a lengthy report at the Democrats’ retreat in February. Well, whatever the contents are—Democrats need to get on message first. If that’s one of the bullet points, they’re failing miserably uniting the establishment wing, not embodied by newly elected DNC chair Tom Perez, and the progressive wing of the party that is clinging to Sen. Bernie Sanders like barnacles, despite Sanders not being a member of the party. The party’s unity tour last week was a shambles, peppered with heckling and booing of Perez. maybe that’s why the report is keeping kept sealed behind closed doors because everything in it was not demonstrated on the various stages Perez and Sanders shared in their bid to unite the Left to oppose Trump.
Yet, Sanders also took flak for supporting the Omaha mayoral candidacy of Heath Mello. The Nebraskan Democrat once signed a sonogram bill while serving in the state legislature, which drove pro-abortion activists up the wall. Sanders knows middle America has different attitudes towards abortion, though that hasn’t stopped the Democratic Party from having their own internal struggles over the issue. Perez said you have to be pro-abortion to be a Democrat and get support from the party. Other Democrats are not as intransigent, though while the GOP kicks back a few beers and chomps on popcorn watching their left wing colleagues self-immolate themselves, they should be getting ready to put forward a well-entrenched defense. Eventually, the left wing cohorts of America will unite and they’ll be coming after us.