General Discussion

CousinIT

(12,782 posts) Thu May 21, 2026, 10:39 AM Thursday

DNC Chair Ken Martin released the 2024 election autopsy. Unedited.

Here it is:

https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/May-20-2026.pdf

I received an email announcing that he was releasing it. Here is a snip:

Here's the Substack post also containing the message and the link: https://blueprint.democrats.org/p/a-message-from-dnc-chair-ken-martin

Read more about what I have to say here: democrats.org/after-action
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin.bsky.social) 2026-05-21T14:05:03.864489088Z

20 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

DNC Chair Ken Martin released the 2024 election autopsy. Unedited. (Original Post) CousinIT Thursday OP

Good news. Celerity Thursday #1

"We either adapt to the changing conditions of the arena, or history will leave us behind." dalton99a Thursday #2

Well that's certainly true. n/t CousinIT Thursday #3

Pretty clear he withheld it because it was hot garbage. He should have just said that. WhiskeyGrinder Thursday #4

Yeesh TheProle Thursday #6

Agree Renew Deal Thursday #9

why start now? WhiskeyGrinder Thursday #16

Conservative Nazi Network (CNN) has already rushed to (mis)interpret it CousinIT Thursday #5

Streisand effect in full bloom TheProle Thursday #7

Of course they are SocialDemocrat61 Thursday #12

Seems like the big message is the report is poorly sourced and completed Renew Deal Thursday #8

Yeah. There was no proper autopsy. And what there is here... CousinIT Thursday #14

So now the corrupt corporate media SocialDemocrat61 Thursday #10

That's why I hoped it would stay unreleased n/t Just_Vote_Dem Thursday #13

Me too. I knew that's exactly what would happen. AZJonnie Thursday #18

I've screamed about this myself. *Many* times...and I'm still doing it. CousinIT Thursday #11

Rothkopf (who I respect a lot): "Warning to Democrats..." CousinIT Thursday #15

Having not read it, but having read many of the responses here EdmondDantes_ Thursday #17

I did it myself... CousinIT Thursday #19

This message was self-deleted by its author CousinIT Thursday #20

Celerity

(54,951 posts)

1. Good news.

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 10:43 AM

Thursday

dalton99a

(95,482 posts)

2. "We either adapt to the changing conditions of the arena, or history will leave us behind."

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 10:51 AM

Thursday

CousinIT

(12,782 posts)

3. Well that's certainly true. n/t

Reply to dalton99a (Reply #2)

Thu May 21, 2026, 10:52 AM

Thursday

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,239 posts)

4. Pretty clear he withheld it because it was hot garbage. He should have just said that.

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 10:53 AM

Thursday

TheProle

(4,122 posts)

6. Yeesh

Reply to WhiskeyGrinder (Reply #4)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:01 AM

Thursday

Unfortunate reductions in support and training for our state parties, consequential shifts in voter registration, a loss of partisan organizing capacity, and a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters has provided the other major party with opportunities for advancement at the expense of Democratic growth, evolution, and ability to find common ground with seemingly disparate groups of voters from coast to coast, and the heartland Democrats tend to ignore.

Historically, Democrats have held the advantage in each of these areas. The Democratic Party
has always tried to be seen as the party of the people, the party of workers, fair play and civil
discourse. The party’s connections with working Americans and their families were forged
through decades of organizing and engagement, the development of a vibrant and inclusive party infrastructure, and a relatable agenda which helped us connect in homes, workplaces, and
neighborhoods across the country.

Renew Deal

(85,397 posts)

9. Agree

Reply to WhiskeyGrinder (Reply #4)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:07 AM

Thursday

But it also raises the question of whether a proper review will be completed.

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,239 posts)

16. why start now?

Reply to Renew Deal (Reply #9)

Thu May 21, 2026, 12:33 PM

Thursday

CousinIT

(12,782 posts)

5. Conservative Nazi Network (CNN) has already rushed to (mis)interpret it

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 10:56 AM

Thursday

It's red meat for the MAGA, so why wouldn't they?

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/21/politics/dnc-autopsy-takeaways-vis

TheProle

(4,122 posts)

7. Streisand effect in full bloom

Reply to CousinIT (Reply #5)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:03 AM

Thursday

SocialDemocrat61

(8,062 posts)

12. Of course they are

Reply to CousinIT (Reply #5)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:09 AM

Thursday

This is why there was no need to make it public.

Renew Deal

(85,397 posts)

8. Seems like the big message is the report is poorly sourced and completed

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:06 AM

Thursday

So basically, a proper autopsy was not completed. Martin wasn't willing to say publicly that the report was poor quality. Are they going to just let that be the last word on 2024? I hope not.

CousinIT

(12,782 posts)

14. Yeah. There was no proper autopsy. And what there is here...

Reply to Renew Deal (Reply #8)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:14 AM

Thursday

...was written by one consultant - unsourced - and not anyone from the DNC.

SocialDemocrat61

(8,062 posts)

10. So now the corrupt corporate media

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:07 AM

Thursday

and republicans will have the opportunity to spin, quote out of context and otherwise distort what the report says to attack democrats.

Just_Vote_Dem

(3,678 posts)

13. That's why I hoped it would stay unreleased n/t

Reply to SocialDemocrat61 (Reply #10)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:11 AM

Thursday

AZJonnie

(4,057 posts)

18. Me too. I knew that's exactly what would happen.

Reply to Just_Vote_Dem (Reply #13)

Thu May 21, 2026, 12:41 PM

Thursday

Also, telling your enemy what you believe you did wrong in the past, and insinuating what your strategies will be in the future, is just plain dumb generally.

The decisions of this party, I swear to dog sometimes

CousinIT

(12,782 posts)

11. I've screamed about this myself. *Many* times...and I'm still doing it.

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:08 AM

Thursday

Dems MUST COORDINATE THEIR MESSAGING and splatter it EVERYWHERE. They're 40 years behind on the messaging game. Both elected Democrats and election organizations (DNC, DSCC, DCCC). When they are out of power in particular, they have two very powerful weapons: MEDIA & MESSAGING.

Of course, screaming that at aides who run the Congressional, DNC, DSCC, and DCCC BlueSky accounts is useless. They likely never read the messages there and rarely, if ever, pass them on to anyone who would read or listen.

It paints the GOP as more successfully flooding the zone with its messaging and Democrats as too feeble and limited to fight back as hard.

“At times, it seems Democrats are trying to win arguments while Republicans are focused on winning elections,” the report says. “Democrats operate in an ecosystem defined by reason even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”

It repeatedly faults Democrats for not being “always on” and messaging harder.

“The difference is right-wing interests take a longer-term approach and amplify polarizing messaging and candidates within the Democratic family with the intention of ‘othering’ all Democrats,” the report says. “Without aggressive pushback and tactics, it works.”

CousinIT

(12,782 posts)

15. Rothkopf (who I respect a lot): "Warning to Democrats..."

Reply to CousinIT (Original post)

Thu May 21, 2026, 11:27 AM

Thursday

Warning to Democrats inclined to maintain their sanity: The DNC post-mortem is not only a pretty superficial and inadequate piece of work, it will now be interpreted by every faction within the party to support their point of view regardless of whether it actually does or not. Sigh.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf.bsky.social) 2026-05-21T15:13:02.145Z