Steele has a shot at the GOP chairmanship in a cozy little contest

Steele has tried to answer what may be his biggest liability - that he may not be sufficiently conservative - by circulating an endorsement from fellow Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, a hero to millions on the right. In a letter to RNC members, Hannity described Steele as "the best kind of conservative - an unapologetic conservative."

Races for party chairman are notoriously unpredictable. Typically, they are popularity contests and revolve around personal connections, not strategic considerations.

The current chairman, Mike Duncan, is a nominal favorite to gain re-election. Duncan did a creditable, if fairly colorless, job as President George W. Bush's hand-picked chairman. He has the most public commitments from RNC members, nearly all of whom joined the committee during Bush's presidency.

But with Republicans arguably in a hole even deeper than in the dark days of Watergate, it's conceivable that party leaders might rise above their self-interests and choose a new face who can help put the party on a comeback path.

A Duncan spokesman, Chris Taylor, said that Steele appears to be gaining and "is looking strong" heading into this week's vote. If the party decides it wants "change for change sake," he added, Steele may well win the job.