The news that the former governor of Vermont, Howard Dean, is being talked about as a possible new chairman of the Democratic National Committee has us wondering which Dr. Dean it is who would fill the post.

Would it be the Dr. Dean who, as governor of Vermont, got high ratings from the National Rifle Association and cut taxes, and who, as a presidential candidate criticized President Bush for not being tough enough on Saudi Arabia?

Or would it be the Dr. Dean who, as a presidential candidate, favored rolling back all of the Bush tax cuts – not just the tax cuts for the rich, but even the ones for middle-class Americans? And who opposed the war on Iraq, claiming that the capture of Saddam Hussein did not make America any safer, and thus subjected himself to the ridicule even of Senator Kerry?

If it is to be both, the Democrats might as well stick with Mr. Kerry, the one who voted for the Iraq war but against the $87 billion but was for the $87 billion before he was against it.

The point here is not to harp on minor inconsistencies or evolutions in Dr. Dean’s positions, or in Mr. Kerry’s. But the point is to address the fact that certainly the Democrats suffered in this election from the lack of clarity in their positions when compared with those of President Bush. On the issue of tax cuts or the war, lack of clarity is easily portrayed as opposition, which puts Democrats on the wrong side of the issues. These are the matters of substance that the next chairman – whoever it is – will have to confront to succeed.

Dr. Dean is certainly staying in the thick of the fight on these matters. In his syndicated column this week, he took a not-so-veiled jab at one of the leading figures in his party, Senator Clinton. Quoth he: “Two weeks before the election, the Bush administration passed a bill that was supported by too many Democrats, giving $139 billion away. The argument was that we couldn’t win if we didn’t support this legislation, which had lots of goodies for everyone. Well, the bill passed, and we lost anyway. If you want to win, you have to fight, and you have to stand for something.” Mrs. Clinton was one of the Democrats who voted for the corporate tax-break bill that Dr. Dean is talking about.

Dr. Dean was asked by a supporter on a conference call last week, “How do we take control of the DNC?” Dr. Dean replied, “The DNC is at a crossroads. They have questions to ask themselves.”

One thing that Dr. Dean has been consistent about lately is identifying himself as “Howard Dean, M.D.” It is a long way until 2008, but here’s a prediction to file away: President Bush will, as he promised, tackle Social Security and tax reform in his second term. But he will leave health care as an unsolved issue. That clears the way for a 2008 election that is, on the domestic front, to a large degree about health care. The Republican field will include that party’s two top health care experts: Senator Frist, M.D., and – you heard it here first – the former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. The Democratic field will include that party’s two top health care experts: Dr. Dean and Senator Clinton.

We know a lot of people are glad this last election was over, no matter how they feel about the results. But the Bush-Kerry race ignited so much passion that speculation about next year is as natural as it is for baseball fans. In the end this contest will be decided not by the Democratic National Committee but by the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina, something Dr. Dean discovered firsthand once already.