Politics | Howard Dean Can Howard Dean Keep the Dems Together? Bruising Clinton- Obama race tests low-key party chairman By Jason Farago Posted Apr 2, 2008 7:18 AM CDT Copied Hillary Clinton acknowledges supporters after a Democratic presidential debate Sunday, Aug. 19, 2007, in Des Moines, Iowa as Barack Obama talks with Howard Dean, left. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) Since his crash-and-burn run for president four years ago, Howard Dean has served as a decidedly low-key Democratic Party chairman, slowly building up state organizations while staying out of the limelight. Yet as the Clinton-Obama race wears on, many are wondering if Dean has the political acumen—or even the will—to rally a party in danger of fracturing. In an interview with the New York Times, Dean insisted that his team was organizing for an eventual fight with John McCain. But Dean's hands-off approach to the Clinton-Obama battle has worried some in the party and led some to step up in his place—such as Phil Bredesen, the Tennessee governor who has proposed a superdelegate mini-convention. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Report an error