He certainly wound up sitting prettier than any of his fellow Democratic presidential wannabes.

That pretty well exhausts the list, unless there is, which there isn't, a groundswell developing for the likes of Dennis Kucinich, Bob Graham, Al Sharpton or the other hopefuls whose names escape recollection.

Truth to tell, Dean deserves the national chairmanship of his party. He went out after it, worked hard for it (he does that wherever he roams), stuck after it and, by rights, won it.

If you believe in the democratic process, no one other than Dean should have become chairman. More than anyone else, Dean represents faithfully what the national Democratic Party has become – one-half far-left, one-half crackpot and one-third lost in the tall weeds of Wonderland.

Don't believe all this hooey about Dean's being a Vermont conservative. He's whatever it takes to rouse the rabble, and at this point the rabble that his national party is in thrall to are the leftist loonies with more billions than brains, the rag-tag remnants of the trade-union movement, a pro-Marxist elite masscomm corps that's perpetually bitter over failing to make the news comes out like it imagines the world to be and the campus kooks who want to re-colonize this country that they despise under the aegis of the intellectual and moral superiority of socialist Old Europe.

So, Dean's right at home, happy as a hog wallowing in mud. At least so far.

Make that good for the Democratic Party nationally, as distinguished from the party locally wherever you happen to live. The DNC is in total disarray after having lost, once again, the presidency and both houses of Congress and most governorships and most state legislative seats. That's some loss, despite Kerry's calipers.

The DNC desperately needs skilled hands rebuilding the shambles. Dean is quite good at this, especially milking the Internet audience for small contributions, which do add up.

And he's good at knitting those suckers into precinct spear-carriers. Don't sell him short. He just about got himself nominated for president in the primaries by playing grassroots roulette.

Last thing the Grand Old Party leadership wanted was someone with stature, common sense and integrity heading the rival DNC. Dean was all along their first choice.

They recognize that for every embittered, hate-filled, emotional basket case Dean rallies to the barricades there are at least one or more good-faith Democrats who want no part of that nonsense and are willing to be persuaded to help George W. Bush get some of the serious heavy lifting done during these next four years.

The RNC will be making a gigantic mistake if it blows off Howard Dean as an annoying gnat. He is to be met head on and dealt with by introducing and working to implement a solid legislative program.

And it's encouraging to notice that the RNC has not suspended its own intense, successful, grassroots fund-raising and organizing just because the 2004 campaign has ended. It will need every new dollar, each new recruit.

The more America sees what Dean – and the Democratic Party under Dean's leadership – stands for, the more the majority of Americans will line up with the Republican Party.

Some Democrats are already saying Dean's ability to raise money – to get the Democratic message across – will return their party to power. Actually, it works the other way.

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Democrats raised and spent more money than did Republicans. In addition, they had all those billions of dollars in free advertising from ersatz journalists and documentary-makers who did all they could to tear down Bush. No wonder Democrats lost so many elective offices last year.

It wasn't that Democrats didn't get their message across. It wasn't that they didn't have a message. It wasn't that they were inarticulate about what they stand for. They lost because most Americans got the message loud and clear … and gagged.

Expect the same thing to happen now. Dean will see to it.

Democrats who are queasy about having Dean at the helm are being told sotto voce not to worry; he won't be making policy.

Like hell he won't. Not Howard Dean. You think he's in this just for the aerobic exercise?

Well, the wishful thinkers think wishfully, Howard will have help.

You can bet he will. In the House of Representatives there will be the likes of:

And in the Senate:

Yes, indeed, Howard Dean will have lots of help on formulating policy for the national Democratic Party.

Catalyst for Party Realignments

Meanwhile, Democrats at the local level, who must by now be feeling like taken-for-granted, ill-used family pets within an electrified lawn, will be looking for ways to retake their own party.

Or, as common sense suggests, aligning with a new-found Republican Party that doesn't offer shock-collars.

Howard Dean? Superb choice!

John L. Perry, a prize-winning newspaper editor and writer who served on White House staffs of two presidents, is a regular columnist for NewsMax.com.

Read John Perry's columns here.

Editor's note: