August 5, 2010 67 Comments

President Obama Shouldn’t Have Visited a GM Plant

not MY 2010 Chevy CamaroFirst, my position: I have more positive sentiments for President Obama than negative. I am a lifelong GM driver and just purchased a new GM product (that I can’t wait to talk about when it gets here). I have this weird passion for Detroit.

Now, my frustration: I wish President Obama hadn’t picked a GM plant as the stage for his talk of fixing Detroit.

Here’s why, and this is an outsider opinion. I know my friends in the 313 will set me straight, if I’m wrong: What Detroit needs isn’t a return to more car jobs. What Detroit needs is what Pittsburgh needed: a new identity.

You Are NOT Your Job

The brilliant and talented and hard working people of Detroit were not born to be car company employees. They were born to find ways to fulfill their passions and to add something to the greater society. This doesn’t require one to have a badge at the formerly Big 3. There are other ways to the finish line.

The Frontier is All Around Us

Tune into groups like Motor City Connect, who spends their time connecting passionate business people together. Connect with the startup community and the media community in Detroit. Look for the new stories, the green sprouts coming up around the fallen trees.

This isn’t the writing off of the auto industry. They’ll do just fine. But that’s not what makes Detroit Detroit. It’s just part of the heritage, the DNA.

I live in the Detroit-Before-Detroit of northern Massachusetts, home to the horse-drawn carriage manufacturing center of the universe of the way old days. We are not the where of our old job badges. We are the where of bright minds and passionate potential.

Connect. Make. Grow. Support.

And Mr. President, go find Terry Bean and the rest of the smart people of Detroit, and let GM and Ford and Chrysler do their thing. Please and thanks.

Related posts:

  1. You are the President of Your Career

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  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Well that's pretty interesting, Will. You're on to something there. I guess it's hard to not bump into a union issue when it comes to Detroit (and the region). Hmmm. I'll have to think about that.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    My big hope, as well. Picking up a new car shortly, so that might be a reason to visit.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Best cherries I ever ate were from right outside of Ann Arbor (actually kind of got a stomachache by eating wayyyyyy to many). : )

  • http://www.resultsrevolution.com/ Marianna Chapman

    Hey Chris,

    I read your stuff everyday, but when I read this morning's post, I had that feeling inside that I get every time I get to meet and speak to the wonderful folks of Michigan. You are so right – there are green sprouts EVERYWHERE up there. Michigan's story (the real story that the national media rarely tells) inspires me beyond words. I couldn't help but expand on your thoughts a bit by sharing some of our own personal experience working with downtown and community revitalization groups in Michigan over the past couple of years – and bragging on a few more folks up there who are doing it right. Here's the link to my post:

    http://www.resultsrevolution.com/2010/08/michigan-home-of-pure-passion/

    Every time I visit Michigan I am filled with their passion, and I want to be more like Michigan folks… I hope your readers will, too.

  • http://www.carlstips.com Carl

    I think it's the perfect setting and one of Obama's Smartest moves. For the past few months all America could do was associate the president with the oil spill. Now there is a vision of him standing with GM. So that's at least good branding for him.

    What better place for him to talk about “the car of the future” and new energy policies.

  • http://webdesignworkplace.com Mal Milligan

    I'm still happy with my 2007 Chevrolet HHR and I was a Ford Bronco driver for 11 years before that. But the new identity is absolutely what Detroit needs. I think the 70 dollar per hour wage + benefits thing is a negative identity and it's not going to make it like that.

    [from mediametters] In a sidebar to a September 17, 2007, article about contract talks between GM and the UAW, the Associated Press reported: “The three automakers lost $15 billion last year. Chrysler pays an average $75.86 an hour in wages, pension and health care benefits, GM pays $73.26 and Ford pays $70.51. Toyota pays U.S. workers about $48, U.S. automakers say.”

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  • http://detroit.fwix.com Jamie Favreau

    Thanks for this post. I don't know how many times people have told me to either pack up and move (which I have gone on a couple of interviews out of state) or people telling me Detroit is dying. Which I don't believe for a minute.

    People love Detroit when they come here and they don't want to leave. I have a friend who is relocating back to the D. She does not see this as a depressed area and wants to have success here.

    I get frustrated with people from all walks of life referring to Detroit and the auto industry and the problem is to outsiders this is exactly what we are. Often times no matter what we do we can not change their minds or even explain to them there is a lot more stuff going on.

    The auto industry is important. I know a lot of people who are accustomed to what this represents and not everyone is going to be an entrepreneur but I think everyone needs to recognize Detroit isn't just the auto industry either.

    Thank you for your support of the D.

  • http://detroit.fwix.com Jamie Favreau

    Thanks for this post. I don't know how many times people have told me to either pack up and move (which I have gone on a couple of interviews out of state) or people telling me Detroit is dying. Which I don't believe for a minute.

    People love Detroit when they come here and they don't want to leave. I have a friend who is relocating back to the D. She does not see this as a depressed area and wants to have success here.

    I get frustrated with people from all walks of life referring to Detroit and the auto industry and the problem is to outsiders this is exactly what we are. Often times no matter what we do we can not change their minds or even explain to them there is a lot more stuff going on.

    The auto industry is important. I know a lot of people who are accustomed to what this represents and not everyone is going to be an entrepreneur but I think everyone needs to recognize Detroit isn't just the auto industry either.

    Thank you for your support of the D.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Wow. That's some pretty steep numbers. Is that still the case?

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    So very excited you shared with us, Marianna. I'm really happy you shared the link so we can see it. I'll tweet it, too. : )

  • Batman

    My acting coach always used the phrase, “Where are you going?” relative to the fact that his students were rushing him. Personally, I'm going to the top, and taking my time to get there, however, I hope I won't run out of time….

  • http://twitter.com/DaraBell DaraghBell

    Not sure if this comment came through from my email. Reading Philip Kotler in Choatics I think we need a plan B. Change is bound to happen. This is mentioned in the comments, you need a plan B,C even a D.

  • dwaynekilbourne

    I have to say that, being someone that once worked as an employee for a service supplier (contractor) at the GM Tech Center in Warren, we do need to diversify the portfolio so to speak… it needs to happen if Detroit and Michigan as a whole want to get out of the economic gutter, but we certainly do not want to nor should we turn our backs on the industry and not look to revitalize part of the automotive industry in Detroit!

  • http://www.toetoeshoes.com retro jordan

    And Mr. President, go find Terry Bean and the rest of the smart people of Detroit, and let GM and Ford and Chrysler do their thing. Please and thanks.

  • boomer54mark

    Hey Chris,

    Terrific post…you are dead on. There is a reason dinosaurs are extinct, it is a new day, a new economy, looking to the future should be Detroit's vision. Detroit will never return to the days of union workers making $100k a year. The sooner they will realize that the better.

    Thanks…Mark

  • http://newnetmarketer.com Mark Dollan

    WOW. I have to say (as someone who lives in metro Detroit) that I couldn't have said it any better. Detroit (and in fact the whole of Michigan in my opinion) can't afford to base our future on the auto industry. This state has done that for far too long. We need to invest more in other industries to create a stable, growing economy (Michigan is routinely at the bottom of economic numbers and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country).

    Awesome post Chris. Thanks for speaking up for the people of Detroit!

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