Post includes complete video of speech.
Billionaire Tommy Duff had his political coming-out party at the Rankin County Republican Party dinner held at the Sheraton in Flowood Monday night.
Speculation is running wild that Thomas Duff is considering running for Governor in 2027. It is indeed the silly season as Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson announced his candidacy for the office a few months ago. Possible contenders include State Auditor Shad White, Leftenent Governor Delbert Hosemann, former Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn, former Congressman Gregg Harper, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
An estimated crowd of over 500 people attended as Republican royalty packed the room to see the billionaire businessman who might be their Governor one day.. Ag Commish Andy Gipson opened the festivities with a rather vigorous prayer. Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Michael Hurst warmed up the room before Secretary of State Michael Watson introduced Tommy Duff.
Mr. Duff is the richest man in Mississippi with an estimated worth of $3.2 billion. Duff co-owns Southern Tire Mart, the largest tire dealer in America, with his brother James (Not Sheldon. No Dr. Tire is Mr. Duff.). They also own several trucking companies such as KLLM. The Duff workforce is 15,000 employees. The Southern Miss grad has been a strong donor to the "Big 3" as several buildings on their campi bear his name.
Duff has been a strong donor of Republican politicians over the years. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Institution of Higher Learning under Republican governors.
The Columbia businessman spoke for nearly 30 minutes. He did so without notes as he calmly stood by the podium without theatrics as some politicians are want to do. He spoke with confidence, a man who knew who he was and was comfortable with himself. At times, the address resembled more of a "TED Talk" than a speech.
"Isn't it great to be a Republican?" asked the keynote speaker as he launched into his speech. He waxed eloquently about his beginnings. His father was a lawyer who owned a struggling tire store. Mr. Duff took a job there right after graduating from college. He chuckled as he said the store had five employees but could only afford to pay four so he went without pay for a year while he lived at home. When his father encouraged him to go to law school, he said the tire business needed him more.
Mr. Duff used his speech to introduce himself, describe his background, and explain his philosophy. Any wonk stuff would have to wait for another day and there will be plenty of those days if he runs for Governor.
Lauding President Trump, Mr. Duff said what "appeals to me the most about dealing with President Trump and watching his policies is the fact that he's an outsider. He looks at things in a different perspective. He thinks that if we've operated this way for so long, what we change because maybe what we're doing is no working."
The billionaire used the praise of the President as a springboard into providing a window into how he thinks. The culture of an organizations is just as important, maybe more important than its leader, said Mr. Duff. Businesses and employees must be given opportunities to grow.
The businessman brought his business ways to the IHL Board. Mississippi's universities had $1 billion of bonds with interest rates ranging from 3% to 6.5%. Everyone was allowed to do their own thing. Mr. Duff said he asked why IHL did not refinance all the bonds. The Board took his advice, refinanced, and saved over $100 million with a new interest rate 2.95%. Insurance policies were standardized among the schools at a savings of over $12 million in just the first year.
The story was told of how a university offered a doctorate in music theory but only one student had received a degree in five years although there were three professors on staff. Mr. Duff pushed and won consolidation as he argued the funds could be used elsewhere in higher education.
Mississippi's brain drain topped Mr. Duff's concerns. "What kills me is the fact that half of the graduates of those 24,000 students we graduate (every year) they won't be in our state in three years," said the businessman. The kids would rather seek opportunities in Nashville, Atlanta, or Austin. Mr. Duff recommended "looking at ourselves", paying more, and creating more opportunities. He said his businesses hire 100 new college graduates every year.
While Duff bemoaned Mississippi's low labor participate rate that hovers around 55% and it had no Fortune 500 corporations while Arkansas had five, he also pointed out Mississippi has more privately-held corporations worth over $1 billion (six) than other states. Such companies invest in their communities, he said, while in other states, the owners sell out and the jobs move out of state. He said more industry is coming into Mississippi than ever before as he praised Amazon and other economic development projects.
"I always worry about the future. You know, it's almost like we're driving down the road and Mississippi is going 50 mph. Now, I will tell you, several years ago, we weren't doing 50. We were doing about 40 mph but our Southeastern state friends were doing 50 mph and we were getting a little further behind each year. I'm pleased to report that we have stepped on the gas and we're up to doing what they are doing. The difference is they're probably still 7 to 10 mph ahead of us," lectured the businessman.
The Southern Miss billionaire wrapped up his speech by discussing how Mississippi should look to the future. A business can grow or stagnate and if it stagnates, it soon starts going down. Mr. Duff said the same applies to Mississippi.
Note: Media in attendance: Washington _____, Mississippi Today, Magnolia Tribune
50 comments:
Barksdalers are salivating.
I don’t know a thing about him other than his business prowess but he has my vote right now. That’s not saying much because I’d vote for a potato before Gipson or any of the other potential Republican candidates.
Goldberg wrote a fair account of the evening.
Awesome-
Finally, a MS rep acknowledges that our grads are indeed leaving for great cities and it is killing us. He has my vote!
C'mon KF. Their plan is to treat Duff with kid gloves to help him win the primary and then attack him with everything they've got in the run up to the general. They would have done the same to Waller had he advanced.
Would be refreshing to have a non-politician businessman at the helm of our state.
I am finding myself leaning more and more away from career politicians and am intrigued that someone of his stature and success would be willing to help out this state. Not to throw salt on some of the other Republican contenders, because a couple of them have done a good job in their various elected capacities...but if the election was today, he'd have my vote. I find myself suffering a bit from "politician fatigue...."
In general, the purpose of a business is to generate profit. Government exists to serve the people, and provide services for them, for the benefit of society.
When we talk about running government like a business, we need to keep that difference in mind. Could government administration benefit from applying business principles? Of course.
But I think the people who want to run government like a business are mostly kooks who want the government to be fully self-sustaining and financially-handicapped because they think taxes and regulations on businesses are somehow immoral (such as Libertarians and Sovereign Citizens).
It was quite an evening. Even the food was good.
Speaking of who introduced him, is Hurst thinking of running for something?
@1042
Shad has been talking about this for years??
Has the evil Dembert Hoseman not already declared his bid for the Mansion? Wasn’t he first before Gipson?
This is the direction the country is headed. We need no middle men politicians who ultimately do the bidding of the oligarchs. No middle men. Let the bosses run the country directly for the sake of business. Mississippi has an opportunity to finally get ahead of the game with Governor Duff. Trump runs the country. Let the money run the show in Mississippi and stop pretending that it doesn't ! Duff!
I personally don't think that a Mormon can win the gubernatorial election in Mississippi.
How does one get an invitation to events such as this?
1. @12:22 - Buy a table or get invited by someone has purchased a table .
2. He’s a Mormon, not sure how that plays in Baptist Mississippi, one the others running will bring it up I’m sure.
Are you under a rock...it was widely advertised
These references to “our grads” are interesting. I would be curious to see how many “grads” are actually Mississippi students. A drive through one campus will turn up a large number of out of state tags. Texas in particular. Kid doesn’t graduate in the top 8% of his/her high school to get into UT, so mom and dad send them to “the Sip” to their alma mater. It’s cheaper anyway. Those kids weren’t planning to stay here to start with.
I like and respect Duff.....but if you think he know even an iota of what the Mississippi educational system is about, you're fool. He and his brother donated $50 million to MS colleges and universities...that's the only reason he had a seat on the IHL. He doesn't know a single thing about any of Mississippi's educational systems....not a thing. So, I do wish he'd stop talking it like he does....saying how phenomenal it is. He's only pandering to the largest voting block in the state - teachers - for their vote. So much for "not" being a politician.
Is he really a mormon? Not sure how that plays in Mississippi.
@1:11-So tell us how one who served 8 years on the IHL "doesn't know a single thing about any of Mississippi's educational sysyems." I'll wait.
Sad trombone sounds for the scrap metal and whistleblower frauditor's big plans.
1:11 50 mil for a seat on the Ole Miss-MSU college board? You must be joking. The Guv got the best end of that deal.
@1:11 I can personally guarantee you, having recently graduated from State, that 80% or more of my friends left for Dallas, Austin, Nashville, and even Birmingham. It is serious. And if that is MSU (majority in-state residents attending) then I can't imagine what % leave MS from Ole Miss. Young people aren't excited to move back to a small town right away. We need Jackson to be a great city or it will continue.
Count another questioner wondering if a Mormon can win guv in MS, assuming that is what Duff is interested in (and I'm not sure it is). Among the problems he'll have is the moderate Rs and independents that won't really care about religion will be turned off by his Trump-touting and the Trumpsters in MS that will LOVE-LOVE-LOVE that about him are largely (supposed) hard-core Christians who will care to some degree.
I think most sensible people would agree - with the analysis, not the situation analyzed - that even a "moderate" Muslim currently would stand zero chance, a Jew or Hindi would stand little chance, an "vocal" atheist would stand little to no chance, and a member of a "cult-ish" religion like Scientology or Hare Krishna would stand zero chance. A Mormon, especially a native son-done-good, isn't in the "zero chance" or even quite in the "little chance" categories, but he certainly isn't in the "shoot, that don't matter none to me" category.
Of course, the real question is does he really want to be guv, and why. He could accomplish more of whatever he wants by being a king/queen-maker (in several races) and using his checkbook that way versus spending a ton of cash in a knife-fight with the morons he'd be running against, leaving some hard feelings festering over it, and trying to be Governor, even assuming he could actually win.
I'm voting for Duff, if he runs!! We don't need White Hat in the Governor's office. Dilbert is getting old. If he runs for Governor, he will be 81 Years old - I just can't justify voting for him.
Why the hell do yall think that it’s your business if he’s Mormon?
Are you going to check to see whether his favorite food matches up with yours or whether his favorite color is the same? Might as well, Karen.
10:44 knows the Mississippi Today playbook. The hitlist of subjects for them to utilize against Thomas Duff with low information Mississippi voters is a gimme. One item has been mentioned. Barksdale, Scruggs, & Gancheau will laud him until the primary is over & then go directly into attack mode. Anna Wolfe is waiting patiently.
Thomas Duff could be a solid governor, but I will be shocked if Mississippi will elect after the attack - assuming that he can even get out of the primary.
Isn't it mostly the graduates that leave though?
State's 4 year graduation rate is only 36% so that still leaves 64% to not be brain drained.
I was for Shad or Andy until I heard Duff speak. I am for him now!
Because Massachusetts Millionaire Mormon Mitt Romney is so popular (with RINOs and Dems) we need. Mississippi Billionaire TireMart guy. The Establishment always working for the Tax Dodger 1%. Hell no. Another guy with money to screw us. The last gasps of the Establishment.
Does he drive a Chevy? I'm a Catfish eating Dark Gray Chevy guy myself. If he is a card carrying Morman, does anyone know if He wears their brand of underware? Does he know the secret handshake?
I wonder how much Frontier Strategies was paid to have these last couple pieces on Duff written?
Duff has my vote if he runs! He’s an honorable, extremely smart man that loves Mississippi!
1:11
He also paid dearly to be the speaker at the event!
2:59
Not as much as Duff paid to be the speaker at the dinner
Only written one piece on him and that was covering the event. The post is pretty fair. Just curious, did you go over to Mississippi today and Magnolia Tribune and ask them the same question?
I'd rather have a Mormon who served on a genuine mission than someone who joined the military to serve his own interests. I'll take a real Mormon undergarment over a fake uniform all day!
1:51 p.m. nailed it!
We need Jackson to be a great city or it will continue.
All these native Mississippians who graduate would stay if we could just make Jackson great? Can you even fathom what you are saying? Jackson has been a crap hole the entirety of their young lives but yet all it will take to get them to stay in Mississippi is for Jackson to suddenly be great? Clueless, simply clueless.
Their plan is to treat Duff with kid gloves to help him win the primary ...
While attacking his primary competition, e.g. like they went all-in after Reeves.
Because he never worked in the system Einstein. The system is corrupt to the bone. Either he is fully aware of that, or he doesn't. He's complicit, or ignorant. Either way nothing changed or improved while he was on that all powerful board. The brain drain happened on his watch.
Please explain.
Never voting for Duff. A USM grad that has given money to the other schools? WTF. Can you imagine an Old Miss billionaire giving to MSU or USM? Screw that guy.
Also, I am all for kids leaving this dump of a state. Both our kids went to better schools out of state and will never come back to the Land of Diabetes and GEDs.
As soon as we retire we are GONE from this shithole.
@5:00 I’m clueless? How out of touch can you be. I have heard from countless people how much they wished they could stay in MS if we just had a decent city. Yeah it’s been a craphole our whole lives. It needs to be fixed up and rebuilt. Can you read? Then people will stay. Nobody wants to move to a little small town after college away from everyone they know.
Pretty interesting read about Mr Duff's speaking last night. With aa Labor force of 15,000 people I personally believe he knows a Lot about Business, Brain Drain, Economics & good Business Savvy. I have to admit that Duff Organization is a pleasure to do Business with & Leadership does start at the Top. I was always a Kirk Fordice fan for the same reason, everything shouldn't be politically motivated.
Any of you Einsteins remember a guy named Fordice who came from a business in Vicksburg and took the job of Governor in this state. Y'all said an outsider, a non-politician could never do it.
We've only had one democrat governor since Fordice, thank God.
So, suddenly we need a front runner who is an expert on education in Mississippi? Name one. I'll take a successful businessman any day.
He's a successful businessman with multiple companies and no political ambitions. Of course we have The Hat, The Red Dress, The Childlike Auditor, The Man With Multiple Names who masquerades as a republican, maybe another democrat truck driver.
All we need in the race is a golfer, a mayor from Podunk and two who have their eyes on the 'high four' years.
Remind me about the 'definition of insanity'.
Runoff between Duff and Gipson.
So if you gave a credit card to attend the event, you paid the money to the Duff PAC. Then they wrote a check to the rankin county GOP. Rankin county chairman Mark Baker consulted with Mississippi GOP chairman Mike Hurst about having Tommie Duff speak Mike Hurst said it was OK because he had not officially announced. He was running for office yet. Tommy Duff has hired a fundraiser and a campaign manager. And his campaign manager has been running around telling everybody he’s running. Also, Tommie Duff gave $25,000-$30,000 to the Rankin county GOP to help pay for the event. So many people here full of shit.
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