Ms. Davis is a longtime Democratic consultant and pollster making her first run for office.

Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic political consultant, sees religion as slowly replacing ethnicity.

And as a longtime consultant to companies here, he points to his dairy deal as a model of what works in Vietnam.

"I doubt it," said George Arzt, a longtime consultant who is not working for either campaign.

He was a longtime consultant to the Scandinavian National Tourist Office.

Mr. Murphy is a longtime paid consultant to the group on a variety of Government issues.

"We have more confidence in Korean corporate strategists," said Hank Morris, a longtime financial consultant here.

Microsoft has increased its permanent lobbying staff in Washington and has also reached out to some of the capital's longtime consultants.

Another longtime Democratic consultant, speaking on the condition of anonymity, put it a bit differently.