Published stories from my memoir in The Assembly
John Bolton: “Reagan lost the first five primaries to Gerald Ford in 1976 – then upset Ford in North Carolina. Carter Wrenn ran Reagan’s North Carolina campaign. He tells a compelling story about American politics, from Reagan to Trump.”
Stephen Mansfield, New York Times bestselling author: “Our generation is awash in a sea of thin analysis and easy opinion about the role of religion in American politics. What we need are the stories told by those who were there, who were in the moment, who smelled the sweat and the fear and felt the hot breath of passion full in their faces. Carter Wrenn gives us such stories and so makes a raucous era of American faith-based politics live again.”
Gary Pearce, Democrat political strategist: “Carter and I have fought on different sides of the political wars, but we’ve remained friends for twenty years. He has seen politics up close in North Carolina and the nation and with the touch of an old school southern storyteller has written a rare book about politics and religion.”
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Back in 1975, I met Ronald Reagan at a dinner in Raleigh. That fall he ran for President – I ran his North Carolina primary, working with Jesse Helms (one of two U.S. Senators who endorsed Reagan) and Tom Ellis (Reagan’s North Carolina Chairman).
Reagan lost the first five primaries, campaign collapsing, beat Gerald Ford in North Carolina. Due to a 30-minute film. And one issue.
In 1984, popular Governor Jim Hunt ran for Senate. Jesse trailed by 25 points – nothing we did worked for a year then, out of a clear blue sky, a gift fell into our lap.
After Reagan was wounded, Tip O’Neill went to the hospital, knelt by Reagan’s bed, said a prayer. Reagan and O’Neill almost never saw eye to eye but, at the same time, treated each other with mutual respect.
The Berlin Wall fell. The Cold War ended. An era passed. A new era began – that changed politics.
Trump beat Hillary. Covid struck. Biden beat Trump. Trump ran again. Biden got out. Trump called Kamala Harris ‘dumb as a rock.’ She called Trump ‘a fascist.’ He called her ‘a communist.’
Mutual respect flew out the window. Lies were once taboo in politics – now people cheer lies.
Living in a fallen world we inherit some ‘flow’rets of Eden’ but as poet Thomas Moore added ‘the trail of the serpent is over them all.’ In my memoir, I follow The Trail of the Serpent twisting and turning through politics – from Reagan to Trump.
Link to published stories from my memoir in The Assembly.
You can order The Trail of the Serpent now from Amazon.
Published stories from my memoir in The Assembly
John Bolton: “Reagan lost the first five primaries to Gerald Ford in 1976 – then upset Ford in North Carolina. Carter Wrenn ran Reagan’s North Carolina campaign. He tells a compelling story about American politics, from Reagan to Trump.”
Stephen Mansfield, New York Times bestselling author: “Our generation is awash in a sea of thin analysis and easy opinion about the role of religion in American politics. What we need are the stories told by those who were there, who were in the moment, who smelled the sweat and the fear and felt the hot breath of passion full in their faces. Carter Wrenn gives us such stories and so makes a raucous era of American faith-based politics live again.”
Gary Pearce, Democrat political strategist: “Carter and I have fought on different sides of the political wars, but we’ve remained friends for twenty years. He has seen politics up close in North Carolina and the nation and with the touch of an old school southern storyteller has written a rare book about politics and religion.”
********
Back in 1975, I met Ronald Reagan at a dinner in Raleigh. That fall he ran for President – I ran his North Carolina primary, working with Jesse Helms (one of two U.S. Senators who endorsed Reagan) and Tom Ellis (Reagan’s North Carolina Chairman).
Reagan lost the first five primaries, campaign collapsing, beat Gerald Ford in North Carolina. Due to a 30-minute film. And one issue.
In 1984, popular Governor Jim Hunt ran for Senate. Jesse trailed by 25 points – nothing we did worked for a year then, out of a clear blue sky, a gift fell into our lap.
After Reagan was wounded, Tip O’Neill went to the hospital, knelt by Reagan’s bed, said a prayer. Reagan and O’Neill almost never saw eye to eye but, at the same time, treated each other with mutual respect.
The Berlin Wall fell. The Cold War ended. An era passed. A new era began – that changed politics.
Trump beat Hillary. Covid struck. Biden beat Trump. Trump ran again. Biden got out. Trump called Kamala Harris ‘dumb as a rock.’ She called Trump ‘a fascist.’ He called her ‘a communist.’
Mutual respect flew out the window. Lies were once taboo in politics – now people cheer lies.
Living in a fallen world we inherit some ‘flow’rets of Eden’ but as poet Thomas Moore added ‘the trail of the serpent is over them all.’ In my memoir, I follow The Trail of the Serpent twisting and turning through politics – from Reagan to Trump.
Link to published stories from my memoir in The Assembly.
You can order The Trail of the Serpent now from Amazon.