Dean rose to prominence during a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000 that saw him fall from prohibitive frontrunner to third-place-bust in the weeks before the Iowa Caucus. His early success with internet visibility and grassroots fundraising made him a favorite for the DNC post. And his success there will make him a top choice for a place in the administration of President-elect Barack Obama. Dean has overseen a resurgence of the Democratic Party, which was left battered and bloody after the reelection of President George W. Bush in 2004. Under Dean’s stewardship, congressional Democrats went from a losing year in the House (-2) and Senate (-4) in 2004 to massive victories in the 2006 partisan takeover (House +30, Senate +6) and again in 2008 (House +20 minimum, Senate +6 minimum), as well as the party’s first trip back to the White House in eight years. Much of the party’s success is attributable to Dean’s 50-state strategy, despite criticism of the plan from other Democratic officials who believed that competing in heavily conservative areas depleted resources from races in other competitive districts. Dean has always said that he would serve only one term at the DNC. Now that it appears Dean will make good on his pledge, it opens the possibility that he’ll be headed for a position in the Obama Administration. Dean has worked closely with the Obama campaign, and helped to keep top DNC officials impartial during the drawn-out primary battle between Obama and his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. Additionally, Dean’s 50-state strategy- for as controversial as it was- meshed well with Obama’s own approach to the electoral map in 2008: the crowning achievement of Obama’s victory was that he was able to win electoral votes in traditionally red states (Virginia, North Carolina), and was competitive in several others (Georgia, Missouri). If Obama were to offer Dean a position, the secretariat at the Department of Health and Human Services would be a highly likely placement. Dean, a medical physician, oversaw the implementation of statewide health insurance coverage for Vermont’s children during his tenure as governor. National health care was a major plank of his 2004 platform. Obama’s efforts to implement his own plan will be a central focus of his first term, and he’ll need a secretary with the vision to get it done. Dean has both the governmental and political experience for such an important position. And with his loyalty to Obama, that would make him an attractive choice.
Word that former Governor of Vermont and sitting Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean would not seek another four-year term at the helm of his party surfaced today, leading many to speculate as to not only the reasons behind the move, but the future of the parties involved as well.
