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Articles by Blair Reeves
A Narrative Jump Ball in Virginia
Blair Reeves is Executive Director of Carolina Forward. Last night, Republican Glenn Youngkin was narrowly elected to the office of Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Though polls had favored Democrat Terry McAuliffe in his quest for a second term as Governor, they tightened considerably in the last few weeks of the race. Not only did Youngkin bag the win, but Republicans generally pulled off a clean sweep of the other major statewide offices as well.
The 'Rucho Strategy' Failed North Carolina
Blair Reeves is the executive director of Carolina Forward, an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit policy organization that advocates for ideas, policies and values to build a stronger North Carolina that works for all its people. Ten years ago, on the heels of a fresh legislative supermajority engineered by aggressive partisan gerrymandering, North Carolina’s new Republican leaders set about answering the call of their voters.
HB2 shadow still looms large in NC, but how large?
by Blair Reeves, NC Newsline May 30, 2023 Once again, North Carolina is looking down the barrel of a barrage of far-right legislation. Again unchecked by the counterweight of a gubernatorial veto (thanks to one legislator’s act of astounding deceit), Republicans are gleefully railroading extremist social legislation into law. A top reason: some important changes that have overtaken our state’s politics in recent years. Most voters’ political memories are famously short.
Op-Ed: Are NC Democrats Ready for a Reckoning?
Democrats in North Carolina, like over-the-hill former athletes, have a regrettable habit of celebrating long-past wins. Listen to their candidates, and it won’t be long until you hear someone sigh nostalgically about how they broke the Republican supermajority in the state legislature in 2018—over four years ago. Stay a little longer, and someone will mention 2008, when Obama flipped the state (by a hair), and a big portion of today’s electorate could not even drive.
Blair Reeves, Author at INDY Week
Democrats in our state face some tough years ahead. And only a proper accounting of how they arrived here, and demanding accountability for it, will offer a way out of the wilderness
Voters Reject Paying for Religious Instruction — Carolina Forward
From the Carolina Forward Research team New Carolina Forward polling on education continues to show North Carolinians' deep, broad, and bipartisan support for public education - not sectarian instruction. Voters continue to overwhelmingly oppose spending public funds to pay for students to attend religious private schools.
Stealing From the Poor — Carolina Forward
Why is North Carolina’s legislature diverting money away from low-income families? By Kaillou Macon-Goudeau, member of Carolina Forward Research Team State lawmakers in North Carolina are playing fast and loose with federal funds meant to support low-income families. That’s according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which takes a look at how states across the country are using federal funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF.
The Great Wage Experiment — Carolina Forward Original
Why are Virginia’s workers getting a big raise, but North Carolinians aren’t? This month, hundreds of thousands of Virginia workers saw a big raise in their paychecks - but their direct counterparts here in North Carolina did not. The reason could help resolve, once and for all, the long-running debate about the relationship between minimum wages and job growth - and early signs point to bad news for opponents of raising the wage.
What’s Behind the Teacher Shortage? — Carolina Forward
North Carolina faces a daunting shortage of qualified classroom teachers, and the problem is getting worse - not better. All across North Carolina, school districts are reporting severe shortages of personnel: support staff, assistants, and especially, classroom teachers. The common denominator? Poor compensation. In the 2019-2020 school year, North Carolina’s average teacher pay dropped to 33rd in the nation. While the national average teacher salary was $64,133, North Carolina’s was only $54,150.
Guest Viewpoint: Why NC’s Courts Are Becoming More Partisan — Carolina Forward
It isn’t your imagination. Nor is it an accident. Guest viewpoint from Billy Corriher, author of “Usurpers: How Voters Stopped the GOP Takeover of North Carolina’s Courts” The North Carolina Supreme Court is facing accusations of partisanship. This time, it’s because the Court pushed back the state’s 2022 primary to give judges time to determine if the recently redrawn election districts are so gerrymandered that they’re unconstitutional.
North Carolina Isn’t Fooled — Carolina Forward
New polling from Carolina Forward shows quickly shifting political sands in North Carolina: Following the hotly contested redistricting process that devolved into a naked partisan power grab, a huge swath of North Carolina voters say they have no confidence in the fairness of the state’s new maps. President Biden’s approval rating shows a rebound, up 3 points since late September. North Carolina’s electorate is almost evenly divided between natives of the state and voters who have moved here.
Analysis: A No-Good, Very Bad State House Map — Carolina Forward
Part 1 of 2: The proposed Republican State House map is an aggressive partisan gerrymander. Here we go again. This post is Part One of a 2-part series analyzing the newly proposed Republican redistricting plans. This post reviews the State House proposed plan. Part Two looks at the State Senate. On October 22nd, Republican leaders released their final proposed redistricting plan for the North Carolina State House.
Who’s On First? - Carolina Forward
Surveys repeatedly show that Americans generally know very little about their state governments. Political science research has shown that only about 1 in 5 Americans can name their state legislators. More than half don’t know how legislative districts are determined (answer: through redistricting) or if their state has a constitution (answer: every state does). North Carolina is no exception to this rule.
Voters Sour on Education Divestment — Carolina Forward
Today in 2021, we are a full decade into the North Carolina extreme-right’s long war on public education. The latest polling from Carolina Forward, however, suggests that Republican leaders are increasingly running into headwinds selling their education divestment agenda to the voters; and that attempts to make education a new culture war front have largely stalled.
Americans aren’t solitary cowboys. Our common bonds can lift us all. Original
There are few more powerful national myths than that of America’s favorite cowboy: the Marlboro Man. With his 1,000-yard stare, two-day stubble and windswept expression, the Marlboro Man was so successful an example of rugged, macho independence that he was Marlboro’s brand ambassador for 45 years. He belonged to no community or banner; he had no commitments or obligations.
Vaccines Are Amazing — Carolina Forward
In the social media fog-of-war, it can sometimes feel like people today have lost their minds. There are few better examples of this than the rise in vaccine-related misinformation and conspiracy theory. “Anti-vax” misinformation certainly started long before the COVID pandemic, but it has completely exploded in the last year and a half, fueled not only by lies and misinformation spread by the former President, but also by paid social media influencers.
NC Voters Support the Right to Choose — Carolina Forward
On Monday of this week, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case out of Mississippi challenging that state’s 2018 ban on abortion beyond 15 weeks after fertilization. This news rang alarm bells nationwide because the Mississippi law, as written, is plainly unconstitutional.
Op-Ed: Hey, Liberals-It's Time to Learn to Live With Big Money in Politics
There are few more-common complaints about American politics than bemoaning the role of “big money” in our elections. Though concerns about campaign finance surface more often in progressive circles, Americans of all ideological stripes report dismay at how central money has become in political campaigns. Every cycle, as the fundraising arms race ratchets up yet further, voters everywhere shake their heads in disgust at the spectacle of politicians scrambling for dollars.
The GOP’s Voter Fraud Investigation in North Carolina Was a Fraud
Federal prosecutors in the Trump administration spent four years investigating claims of widespread voting fraud in the state, but found nothing of the sort. Last week, there was a major development in a high-profile political controversy that has roiled North Carolina for the better part of a decade. And unless you are a state political news junkie, chances are you heard nothing about it. There were no press conferences, no major statements given by prominent leaders.
Blair Reeves: Political theater of the absurd: The Rise of 'Mr. Potato Head Politics'
Blair Reeves: Political theater of the absurd: The Rise of 'Mr. Potato Head Politics' Hasbro created confusion Feb. 25 when it removed the gender from its Mr. Potato Head brand, but not from the actual toy. Hasbro clarified in a tweet that the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head characters will still exist, names and all, but the branding on the box will say “Potato Head.” Hasbro Blair Reeves Guest columnist Did you hear?
Poll: Widespread Concern About Corruption, Corporate Influence in North Carolina — Carolina Forward
Executive Summary: Two-thirds of North Carolinians believe corruption in state government is a “major problem” 4 in 5 believe that large corporations wield too much power in the legislature Large majorities support higher minimum wages and repealing the ban on municipal broadband Over the last decade of Republican rule in the North Carolina state legislature, corruption scandals have become a more and more frequent feature of state political news.
How NC's changing electorate will change its politics - Q City Metro
With less than two months to go before the 2020 election, North Carolina Democrats could be forgiven some tremors of optimism. Joe Biden has a consistent lead in the state polling average, according to RealClearPolitics. Cal Cunningham’s lead over Sen. Thom Tillis is at a 4 point average. And Gov. Roy Cooper is cruising to a double-digit reelection victory over Dan Forest. In the state legislature, Republicans face a formidable challenge in holding the state House and Senate.
NC voter registration data shows trends in geography, party affiliation
With three months to go before the 2020 election, North Carolina Democrats could be forgiven some tremors of optimism. Joe Biden has a consistent lead in the state polling average, according to RealClearPolitics. Cal Cunningham’s lead over Sen. Thom Tillis has risen to a 9.5 point average. And Gov. Roy Cooper is cruising to a double-digit reelection victory over Dan Forest. In the state legislature, Republicans face a formidable challenge in holding the state House and Senate.
Social media superstars are sucking up all the political donations, leaving smaller candidates with nothing. But there's a way to end this fundraising inequality.
It can be hard for smaller political candidates to raise cash in an age of social media-driven fundraising. Andrew Woodley/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Some Democratic candidates are raising millions of dollars through online donations fueled by social media. But this structure leaves out many smaller candidates who are running for vital offices on the state and local levels.
Why You Shouldn’t Pay Remote Workers Based on Where They Live
Facebook’s salary decision sets a dangerous precedent Image: Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision/Getty Images I’ve been a vocal proponent of remote work for pretty much all of my career in technology — which, as it happens, started off in a fully remote gig. My belief all along has been that the distributed working model is a fundamentally disruptive technology whose clear advantages will inevitably win out.
Bring Democracy Back to North Carolina
For much of the last decade, the state of North Carolina has not truly been a representative democracy. That's a pretty dramatic statement, and one that the average American has a difficult time computing. Yet it's true, and the national spectacle of the Old North State's lurch rightward since 2011 bears it out. When North Carolina Republicans won a majority in our state's General Assembly in 2010, one of their very first acts was to redraw themselves a supermajority of the legislature.
10 Basic Things Every American Should Know About How Your Country Works
In the American system of government, the President simply does not, and cannot, do the vast majority of what every candidate says they will. The President’s powers are described in Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Read it — it’s good stuff! In it, you’ll see that American Presidents do not have the vast majority of powers that most Presidential candidates claim. The President, for example, does not set tax rates. The President does not spend money.
Career paths for product managers
Blair Reeves is a Principal Product Manager at SAS Software, and has previously held senior product and leadership roles at Demandware (now a Salesforce company) and IBM. He speaks, writes, and consults on product management in enterprise software, remote workforces, and other topics. Blair is an avid hiker, writes and codes creatively, and believes inspired products are built first in the gym. He has an annoying Twitter habit at @BlairReeves. more
3 types of knowledge a product manager should seek
Anywhere you go, successful product managers are relentless in their pursuit of knowledge, although the kinds of knowledge that matter—and how to obtain that knowledge—vary. We recommend thinking about your research and expertise as an enterprise product manager as falling into three distinct categories: organizational knowledge, product knowledge, and industry knowledge.
Building Products for the Enterprise
Where’s the cart? Now you can get everything on Safari . To purchase books, visit Amazon or your favorite retailer. Questions? See our FAQ or contact customer service: When it comes to product management, enterprises need to take a different approach to than startups or smaller businesses. Because large organizations need to present solid and usable products for users quickly, they have fewer opportunities to produce a minimal viable product.
Why product management isn’t a cookie cutter position
This is an excerpt from "Product Management for the Enterprise," by Blair Reeves. View the full tutorial on Safari. In this video excerpt, Blair Reeves covers how the product manager role varies and what is required of product managers working at a startup versus a large company. He also introduces parameters that better define what a product managers are, and just as important, what they are not.
The Democratic Face of the New South
One of the most important themes of the last several election cycles has been the gradual realignment of two states from solidly in the Republican column to the Democratic: Virginia and North Carolina. These two roughly similar Upper South states carry a combined 28 electoral votes — roughly a Florida — and have thus become tremendously important states in our national campaigns.
Demystifying Apple’s FAQ - A Rebuttal
To say that Apple has great marketing would be quite an understatement. Apple is widely recognized as having one of the most effective marketing and PR operations in their—or perhaps any—industry. Stories of people lining up to buy virtually any new Apple product, sight unseen, for hundreds of dollars are now utterly routine. Loyalty to Apple’s brand is nearly unmatched, and accordingly it ranks as the most valuable in the world.
Apple is wrong. Your iPhone is not a black box.
Following a long fight with the feds, Apple’s Tim Cook issued a sharp public retort to the FBI yesterday in the form of “A Message to Our Customers”: The whole letter, which is not that long and worth reading, goes on to state Apple’s objection to the FBI’s request to essentially create a new, custom version of iOS that they can use to defeat the security on a recovered iPhone 5C from the San Bernardino terrorists.
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