Opinion: Accountability Isn’t a Distraction, It is a Requirement

By Jarrod McGlothen

If you want to know why the Democratic Party is struggling to connect with the heart of the country, look no further than the recent decision by the Democratic National Committee.

Last year, DNC Chair Ken Martin promised a full, transparent autopsy of the 2024 election. He promised to figure out why the party lost ground with the working class, Latinos, and young voters. But in late December, he made a sharp reversal. The report is finished, but it will not be released. Why? Because the DNC leadership has decided that looking at the facts would be a distraction.

In Indiana, we have a different word for that. We call it avoiding the truth.

As a moderate Democrat, I believe that if you want to win, you have to be willing to look in the mirror. You cannot fix a problem you refuse to acknowledge. By shelving this report, the DNC is choosing to protect the feelings of high level consultants instead of respecting the voters they need to win back.

The reality of the 2024 election was a wake up call that the party leadership seems determined to ignore. We lost because the national message became too focused on cultural theories that do not reflect the common sense of Middle America. Most people in my community know that a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl. They aren’t being hateful. They are being honest. When the party treats that basic reality like a fringe opinion, it tells millions of people that they no longer have a home in the Democratic tent.

Then there is the issue of the border. For too long, the loudest voices in our party have treated border security like a dirty word. But the voters have moved on. A Harvard Harris poll from last month shows that 50% of Democrats now support a closed border and tougher enforcement. This isn’t about being anti immigrant. It is about wanting a system that actually works and a country that respects its own laws.

We have a roadmap for success in Governor Andy Beshear. He wins in deep red territory because he focuses on the kitchen table issues that matter to everyone: jobs, healthcare, and education. He calls it talking normal. It is a simple concept, but it requires a party that is willing to listen more than it lectures.

The DNC’s refusal to release its autopsy is a sign that the leadership is still petrified of its own reflection. They are afraid to admit that the coastal wing of the party has lost touch with the working class. But you don’t reignite the American Dream by pretending the fire hasn’t gone out for millions of people.

Transparency is the only way to build trust. If the Democratic Party wants to lead the country, it has to start by being honest with itself. We don’t need more spin. We need a party that is brave enough to open the books, admit where it failed, and start talking normal again.