This seems to me like a repeat of 2004 when the Dems were so determined to beat the incumbent they decided they couldn't risk nominating someone who people were excited about or showed any shred of human emotion himself
Dean would have been a competent, centrist, charismatic bureaucrat of a leader. He's the kind of guy who would have gone to the mattresses over something wonky like proportional voting. But he understood the internet, therefore he petrified the Democratic establishment, therefore they shiv'd him.
I also vaguely remember being excited about Dean but then the Democratic Party killed his chances. I’m not sure what the real story was there I’m sure it wasn’t just about the dean scream but I was too young to understand that at the time and bought into that bullshit