The Democratic Party is shrinking in approval and hiding its post-2024 autopsy instead of facing the findings, and that decision tells you a lot about where the party stands heading into the next election cycle.
New polling paints a brutal picture for congressional Democrats, with approval at historic lows and disapproval soaring. A Quinnipiac poll found only 18 percent approval and 73 percent disapproval, a figure that screams trouble for any party trying to sell a comeback narrative. Even within their own ranks they’re underwater, with their base showing less enthusiasm than a party needs to build momentum.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten captured the depth of the slump by calling it “-55 net approval, an all-time low & lower than the Dead Sea.” That kind of language from a data expert isn’t partisan spin; it’s a clear signal that the party’s message and leadership are failing to connect. Polls show odd contradictions, like the Democrats leading slightly on the generic ballot despite the approval hemorrhage, which suggests their standing rests on shaky ground rather than genuine support.
More recent tracking from Emerson and Quantus Insights barely budged the needle, showing Democrats up by only a couple points on the generic ballot. Quantus and Emerson’s numbers reflect a party that is treading water and unable to build the kind of lead usually expected from an opposition party in midterms. Those small advantages won’t withstand a concerted Republican focus on pocketbook issues and accountability for past economic performance.
Then came the DNC’s choice to keep its 2024 autopsy under wraps, announced by Ken Martin. The chair said he ordered the report but decided not to publish it, claiming public review would be a distraction from winning. That explanation reads like a cover-up: if the findings were actionable and helpful, why shield them from public scrutiny rather than use them to rebuild trust and strategy?
Ken Martin, the chairman of the D.N.C., said on Thursday that he had decided not to publish a report that he ordered months ago into what went wrong for the Democratic Party last year. Party officials have conducted more than 300 interviews with Democrats in all 50 states to create a document that Mr. Martin had once pitched as crucial to charting a path forward.
Mr. Martin will instead keep the findings under seal. He believes that looking back so publicly and painfully at the past would prove counterproductive for the party as it tries next year to take back power in Congress, according to a D.N.C. spokeswoman who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share the thinking behind his decision.
“Here’s our North Star: Does this help us win?” Mr. Martin said in a statement. “If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.”
The politics here are obvious: hide the bad news and hope voters forget. That’s a losing formula. The report reportedly came from hundreds of interviews and represents a major investment of time and resources, and locking it away signals fear of accountability. Republicans can’t let this behavior go unchallenged; transparency and answers are what voters deserve when parties claim to want reform.
There are glaring questions the DNC won’t answer publicly, such as why Vice President Harris’ operation spent roughly $1.5 billion and failed to secure a single swing state. That kind of resource deployment with no returns should be scrutinized, discussed, and corrected, not buried. The optics of secrecy make it look like an institution more interested in avoiding embarrassment than fixing structural problems.
Some Democrats inside the party call the decision “reflective of a broader problem within the party,” and that assessment is generous. Choosing secrecy over candid analysis is textbook hide-your-head behavior, which has consequences at the ballot box. Voters notice when leaders avoid responsibility, and that fuels disillusionment that shows up in approval ratings and turnout decisions.
Republicans have a clear opening if they play it smart: stick to the economy and reminders of the turmoil under the previous Democratic agenda. Inflation spikes, high energy prices, and stagnant growth are the kind of concrete issues that voters remember. Emphasizing how policy shifts and leadership changes can restore prosperity is the simplest, most direct contrast to a party that appears unwilling to learn from its mistakes.
Recent economic signs are improving, with inflation down and energy prices easing, giving Republicans factual footing to argue competence and recovery. The message should be tight: point to the numbers, explain what Republicans will do differently, and tie Democratic secrecy to a broader pattern of mismanagement. Voters respond to clarity and results, and the current environment offers both cause and opportunity for a focused opposition.
With Democrats hiding an internal autopsy and approval ratings sinking to historic lows, political accountability becomes the issue. Republicans can leverage that opening by demanding transparency and keeping the conversation centered on tangible outcomes for everyday Americans, rather than letting the Democrats control the narrative through silence.
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