A story from the GOP side of the aisle is breaking this morning over at The Skepticians. James Richardson is reporting that all of the debate over who the next RNC Chairman will be may prove premature. Mike Duncan, the current chairman, might not be ready to vacate the position.

The recent Republican victories in GA and MS gave pause to Mike Duncan, current Republican National Committee Chairman, who, until today, was unsure if he would seek a second term. According to individuals with close ties to Duncan, an announcement email landed in the inboxes of the 168 voting members of the Republican National Committee at approximately 6 AM this morning.

Complete with the usual social networking accoutrement, www.MikeForChairman.com was launched in the wee hours of the morning to coincide with the email announcement. “Serving as Chairman of the Republican National Committee has been the most gratifying work of my career,” Duncan said. Adding, “I am proud of RNC accomplishments in fundraising, technology, and grassroots over the past two years.”

As James points out, Duncan has plenty of advantages (including inertia) should he choose to stay in his current position. The base may be weighing in on the question, however. I’ve been following the discussion regarding the “next” RNC chair over at Hot Air ever since the election, and there seems to be a mood for change in the air. (Check out the 800 and change comments in this thread where Steele calls on the GOP to reach out to pro-choice Republicans.) The drubbing taken by the GOP over the last two cycles has members worried about the party’s future viability and they may want new blood in at the top to bring a fresh direction. Top contenders, including Michael Steele, have already invested a lot of time and political coin in positioning themselves to grab the brass ring. Duncan may find himself facing some long knives if he does an about face now.