Jim Duffy got his first political job the old-fashioned way, his brother-in-law asked his boss, the mayor, to hire him. At 23, Duffy understood enough about politics to repay the favor to both his brother-in-law and the mayor. He started nailing up signs, walking blocks, making phone calls, running campaigns and finally writing and producing media. There's no job in a campaign he hasn't done.

Twenty years of working in campaigns has left Duffy with a deep appreciation of the voting public. Voters may not follow the day-to-day give and take of a campaign, but over the course of a political cycle they will determine which candidate is on their side, who cares about the issues that affect their lives and ultimately who they trust to keep their word. Political communication is a delicate balance of timing, substance and style. Make a mistake on any one of these elements, and the campaign is in trouble.

Duffy is a message master and helps campaign staffs cling to their campaign theme like a snapping turtle. His understanding of using message in paid media, scheduling, free press, mail and telephones makes him a valuable participant in a conference call or at the steering committee table.

Duffy graduated from Tulane University, earned a Master's degree from the University of New Orleans and spent two years at the Johns Hopkins University working on a Ph.D. The academic life proved a little slow for Duffy, plus he could never discipline himself to read any other history but southern political history, which did not endear him to his professors. He left Hopkins and headed for New Orleans, where with a little inside help, he joined the staff of Mayor Moon Landrieu in 1973.

In 1985 he joined the firm of Raymond D. Strother, Ltd. and became a partner in Strother/Duffy/Strother in 1991. Clients he has produced media for include Senator Blanche Lincoln, Congressman Martin Frost and Congressman Bud Cramer. Jim Duffy, 57, is married and lives in Maryland.

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