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Washington — There is a sort of swagger to Howard Dean's smile.

Here he is, poised to take charge of the Democratic Party, a striking comeback after his flameout a year ago in the presidential race. He is savoring the moment, yet displaying a new sense of caution.

"There are a lot of people in this city who are afraid I'm going to be very unorthodox -- and I am," Dean chortles to a door-busting crowd of supporters in the lead-up to his election today as party chairman. But the bruises from his crash to Earth after flying high at the start of the presidential primary season still are so fresh that Dean is displaying a new, determined effort at restraint.

"I'm going to be a little careful about the directional mike this time," he says at the start of a recent speech, a reference to the microphones that amplified his oft-mocked scream in Iowa. His "wow" at the size of the crowd this time sounds more like a flat statement of fact.

Dean knows he is on probation.

"Double secret probation," suggests Dick Harpootlian, former state chairman of the South Carolina party.

"The question is how he will project the image of the Democratic National Committee," Harpootlian said. "The opinions on this range from disaster to huge success, and it's too early to tell."

Dean's supporters know his chairmanship may well be a wild ride, but they're betting on his proven organizational and fund-raising skills -- he raised a record $41 million in a single year -- and on his ability to inject energy and enthusiasm into the Democratic ranks. They point to the former Vermont governor's successful tenure as chairman of the Democratic Governors Assn., to his tireless work last year for state and local candidates whom national party leaders were neglecting, to his ability to attract legions of new young Democratic foot soldiers to his presidential campaign.

"The weakness that everyone in Washington is afraid of is almost his strength," said Elaine Kamarck, a Democratic National Committee member who was an early backer of Dean's bid to chair the party. "He actually has the ability to lead people and inspire people. This is not a bad trait in a party chairman."

Still, even Dean's fans stress that he will have to exercise discipline to keep his focus on party mechanics and organization, not necessarily an easy thing for a longtime governor with a passion for policymaking.

Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, offers this advice: "OK, Howard, just remember that you're not running for president and you're not running for governor and you're not running to be the head of the Senate or the head of the House. That's the way you have to do it."

Early in the week, as it became clear that Dean was likely to be the next party chairman, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a news conference with her Senate counterpart, said she expected Dean to "take his lead from us" on some issues. But she seemed to acknowledge some concern about his selection in adding, "He hasn't been elected yet. Why don't we spend time on the crises we have."

No one expects Dean, famously outspoken, to completely muzzle himself. Dean jokes that the Washington insider's definition of a gaffe is "when you tell the truth and they think you shouldn't have."