Obama? A good hunter? But...not a good farmer? THAT is the problem???
Huh?
Yep. That is what I said. You didn't read it wrong. This may sound a little crazy at first but if you just hang with me for a minute I'll think you'll get my point.
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QUICK NOTE: Let me say first that this diary was inspired by a great diary that droogie had on the rec list the other day http://www.dailykos.com/... as well as other diaries I've seen here recently.
I don't want to try to sum up Droog's great diary in a sentence or two. But if you missed it- the basic gist (if I got it right) was that the Republicans are more fired up than we are now, so to speak, and we need to step up a bit. They are currently doing a better job of making noise and getting attention for their causes and interests.
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This begs the question: So what DID happen to the old fire that we had during the election?
What happened to the enthusiasm that we had? Why the in-fighting? Why do we now see diaries almost daily where people are leaving / taking a break / giving up???
Why are we not as fired up as before?
That leads me to what I call Obama's hunter / farmer problem...
I'll start by explaining what I mean by the words "hunter" and "farmer".
These terms are common lingo in the sales world. I've been in Business to Business sales for about a decade. In B2B sales one of the first questions you'll get when speaking with a recruiter or hiring manager is:
Are you a hunter or a farmer?
A HUNTER can be described as someone who goes after or "hunts" new clients.
Some people thrive on the challenge of bringing someone new on board. You've got to sell yourself, your company, your product / service enough for them to decide that they want to be on YOUR team rather than the competition's. You bring in new accounts in a similar way that a politician goes after new voters.
(The two things may seem very different on the surface but they actually have quite a bit in common. The difference is that a politician doesn't want you to buy a product or service, they want you to buy into their policies and procedures. That is their product. But they still must have the power to sell- or persuade- because they need the people on board.)
A FARMER is a different type of salesperson and requires a different skill set. They are assigned a group of existing clients and their job is to maintain, and even grow, the relationship with them. Getting the client to sign on the dotted line (or cast their vote in the case of a politician) is only the first step, you want to KEEP them there. The competition wants them too and you have to assure them that they've made the right choice. They've made the decision to join your team but you need to work hard to keep them there.
So what does this have to do with Obama and some of the lack of unity and support and enthusiasm that we are seeing now?
Frankly, I think that President Obama could work on fine-tuning his farming skills. He did a hell of a job of rallying people and bringing them on board during the election. But since then how many times have we heard:
"Obama, you've lost me"
I have seen plenty of diaries and comments to that effect here on DKos. I've also heard it from family and friends who were so enthused during the election but now are losing steam.
Obama had so much support in the beginning. People were "fired up". But fires can burn out. He needs to keep those fires burning. They need to be tended. Just like a famer must tend to his fields or he won't yield a good crop.
I knocked on doors, registered voters, made hundreds of phone calls, etc. during the campaign. But now???? Honestly, other than the seemingly endless healthcare debate I don't know what to fight for. And even if I did, I can't say for sure that I have it in me at this point to fight like I did a year or two ago.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still a huge Obama supporter. But if I'm honest I have to say that that old fire is burning out.
It's time to start working on your farming skills, President Obama. You know how to fire people up. In fact, that may even be your best quality. So USE IT! Get those fires burning again.
You brought us on board. But keeping us there, that's a different thing.
And that's what I think needs some work. My 2 cents. For what it's worth.
I'd like your input on this. Be honest, Kossacks. Have you lost some steam too since the election? Do you think Obama's "farming" skills could be better?