Republican strategist Kent Gates theorizes that this reflects “a total Rahm (Emanuel) block.”

The clash between the two party chairs during the 2006 midterm election is legendary: Emanuel ran the party’s congressional arm back then and divided bitterly with Dean over cash. With Emanuel now Obama's right-hand man, it makes sense that Dean’s name is not being circulated.

Gates says that not putting Dean in the cabinet shows Obama places a higher premium on unity than loyalty, adding: “Dean does his own thing and has too much power with party activists to keep around.”

Dean made his share of enemies as party chairman, but progressives -- and out-of-work Republican officials -- will argue that he was more right than wrong about the party needing a presence where it previously had little.

High-level figures often don’t initially land significant positions in a new White House. Ronald Reagan had no room at first for George Shultz; Charles Duncan lost out as defense secretary under Jimmy Carter; Averill Harriman and Richard Holbrooke had to work their ways back under JFK and Bill Clinton.

Political scientist Bert Rockman cautions that not all cabinet positions have been picked yet, so there is still time for the good doctor to cancel his train ticket back to Vermont.

CNN political analyst and former Democratic operative Donna Brazile counts herself as a Dean fan: “As chair, he brought with him a compass, a flashlight and a strategy to basically plant seeds of hope in all 50 states.

“He deserves some credit for this new season of possibility.”