"Look, I get it: There are many reasons Democrats feel the need to look back at the electoral calamity of 2024. The Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, has books to sell. Joe Biden loyalists feel they must rehabilitate his tarnished image. Operatives and donors who were knee-deep in the Biden or Harris campaigns naturally have scores to settle and grudges to air."
"In wallowing in the 2024 defeat, Democrats are avidly assisted by Republicans experiencing intense Schadenfreude at their misery. The GOP is deeply invested in spinning the close 2024 results into an irreversible realignment that will make Donald Trump and his heirs masters of the universe until the end of time. So I'm not under the illusion that Democrats will be able to eschew 2024 reminiscences altogether. But they should give it a try."
Various incentives drive Democrats to reexamine the 2024 defeat, including nominees promoting books, loyalists rebuilding reputations, and operatives and donors settling scores. Republican observers amplify Democratic recriminations with schadenfreude and claim a permanent realignment favoring Trump. The Democratic National Committee delayed an official autopsy until after 2025 elections to avoid undermining organizers' morale or turnout. A stronger course is to defer any formal 2024 autopsy until late November 2026, after the midterms. Much of 2024's dynamics likely will not determine 2026 outcomes, and immediate introspection risks wasting time and diverting resources from upcoming electoral priorities.
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