Tancredo says he’s definitely in for the long haul. Maybe.

The hot rumor — as Eli Stokols and I both happened to write today — is that Tom Tancredo is looking for a way out of the governor’s race. Now he tells Stokols, who reported that the exit job could be the superintendent of Jeffco schools, that the rumor isn’t true. Probably.

Why would Tancredo possibly quit when, in a four-way contest, he might well be the favorite?

Quick answer: He’s Tom Tancredo and he doesn’t really want to be governor.

Here’s what he told Stokols: “The state government would be a hell of a lot easier to run than the Jefferson County school system. And there’s no way in hell we’d be busting our butts and spending all this money getting signatures if we weren’t committed.”

Here comes the but: “I’ve said all along that if there’s someone who emerges who’s polling better and more competitive with Hickenlooper than me, I’ll hand them the baton. But I don’t see it right now. I think I’ve got as good a shot of winning as anyone.”

Since the primary is only two months from now, when exactly would someone have the time to emerge as a clear favorite? I’d guess that whenever Tancredo decides he has.