It’s no secret that Kinder, the only Republican to win statewide on Nov. 4, and senior Missouri Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, are discussing the future of the party’s leadership. More than likely, the party will soon have a new chairman and executive director.

While Lloyd Smith’s name is being bandied about — Smith is a longtime aide to U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, top GOP insiders say that Kinder is considering serving as an unpaid chairman while also being lieutenant governor. That might open up the paid executive director spot for Smith.

The choice is said to be Kinder’s, though some are trying to talk him out of it. The thinking is that the party chairman can be more aggressive, politically speaking, leaving Kinder out of the mud, which might help as he gears up for a likely run for governor against Jay Nixon in 2012.