Race for Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) is still up in the air.

On January 30, the 168 members of the RNC-consisting of the national committee man and woman and state chairman of each state and territory-will elect the Chairman to serve through the 2010 elections.  There are six candidates:

Mike Duncan, the incumbent RNC Chairman selected by President Bush.  A former President of the Kentucky Bankers Association and Director of the Cleveland Federal Reserve, Duncan is the only one of the candidates who supports the federal bailout of Wall Street corporations.  He is probably the front-runner at this point.

Michael Steele, former Lt. Governor (elected on a ticket with the Governor) and unsuccessful 2006 Senate candidate in Maryland.  Regarded as the least conservative of the six candidates but has been widely praised as an excellent communicator.

Saul Anuzis, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, who is the son of Lithuanian immigrants.  A former Teamster, he rides a motorcycle, has a beard, and is regarded as a straight-shooter.  During the 2008 GOP presidential primaries, Anuzis wanted to exclude Ron Paul from the debates because of the Congressman's opposition to the war in Iraq.

Katon Dawson, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, which had success in the 2008 elections.  Dawson runs a family-owned auto parts business. 

John Gizzi of Human Events described Dawson and Anuzis as "take-charge guys, both demonstrating they had organizational expertise and technological acumen."

Ken Blackwell, who has been elected city councilman and then mayor of Cincinnati and State Treasurer and then Secretary of State of Ohio, but badly lost a race for governor in 2006.  A social conservative, Blackwell has been endorsed by conservative leaders Richard Viguerie, Gary Bauer, Tony Perkins, Phyllis Schlafly, Steve Forbes, Ed Meese, David Keene, and Morton Blackwell.

Gizzi wrote that, in a recent debate of the candidates, "If there was any candidate who did not meet early expectations, it was clearly Blackwell."  And Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post reported that RNC insiders believe Blackwell "has a ceiling of 25 or so votes."

Chip Saltsman, former campaign manager for Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign and former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.  However, Saltsman seems to have self-destructed by sending out a CD that the included the song, "Barack the Magic Negro."  But Cillizza vouched that he "knows Chip personally and can testify that he is the furthest thing from a racist."

The Washington Times reported that several members of the RNC stated that, while Duncan is likely to lead on the first ballot, "they expect either Anuzis or Dawson to emerge" as the eventual winner.

Likewise, syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker said "the serious players" are Duncan, Dawson, and Anuzis.