No chance of success. A failure before it began. Although the term began with police and ambulance personnel when arriving at a scene where the person had already died, the phrase has become popularly used in an endeavor that has no chance of proceeding. (Compare to Dead as a door nail, Not a snowballs chance in hell, Goner or Flatline

“The mayor’s plan for downtown is dead on arrival and has no chance of approval according to the city council.”