anecdote! 
I had the distinct pleasure and honor of meeting Dr. Dean in person myself at an ADACH (American Democrats Abroad - Switzerland) event! His charisma lit up the room and electrified ADACH's activities from 2004 on!
The appointment of Rahm Emanuel as COS was one of Prez O's most costly mistakes in so many ways, IMO. The failure to appoint Dr. Dean to the HHS post was one of the gravest consequences. It ultimately cost us dearly in the 2010 mid-terms. I believe that Dr. Dean either would have anticipated and outflanked the Tea Party Movement or it may never even have gotten started, as it had its origin in the poorly-explained and sold ACA.
Dean had a clearer vision of what should happen in national healthcare than anyone else at the time and Dean knew how to sell that vision. He knew just how to reach Americans at all levels. No matter how hard she tried, Sibelius was way out of her depth.
McConnell may have thwarted everything that he could even from his initial minority position, but I really do not believe that he would ever have gotten a Senate majority again if not for policies championed by Rahm Emanuel. By the time Emanuel finally left, McConnell and his Senate majority were firmly entrenched.
It is truly amazing that Prez O accomplished as much as he did in the circumstances. But he could have accomplished so much more without this costly early decision, IMO.
I am also sorry that, until Tom Perez, the DNC reverted mostly to the old key state strategy, even though they called it a "50-state" strategy. I remain firmly convinced that was also one of the reasons that HRC "lost" in 2016. Thank heavens that the DNC, as well as the DSCC and the DCCC to some extent, finally went back to Dean's vision of fighting in all 50 states at all levels in 2018!
Success speaks for itself and I hope that the true 50-state strategy continues for ALL future elections!
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