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Is Tillis Losing the ‘Base?’

By Carter Wrenn October 1, 2020

I got a call from a reporter who’d read a poll: Biden and Cal Cunningham each had 47% of the vote in North Carolina; Trump had 47% (tied with Biden) but Thom Tillis only had 40%, seven points behind Cunningham – the reporter asked, There’re a lot of people, a lot of Republicans, voting for…

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Who Wins Tonight?

By Carter Wrenn September 29, 2020

Well, ‘Sleepy Joe’ and ‘Tacky Trump’ go head to head tonight with no holds barred and with courtesy all but gone the ratings of tonight’s debate should shoot through the roof! Every morning my inbox is filled with emails from old friends who say, Trump lies but… and, at the same time, when Biden floats…

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A Bad Sign?

By Carter Wrenn September 16, 2020

In a political campaign signs can tell you who’s up or who’s down: A tremor in a candidate’s voice, an evasive campaign manager, and polls (though these days a lot of polls are silly). When one campaign cuts back its media buys, as the other ramps up, that’s another sign. I read a story in…

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Last Respects

By Carter Wrenn September 15, 2020

Thirty-five years ago, the morning George Crile – a producer at 60 Minutes who later wrote the book Charlie Wilson’s War – called I thought, An interview with 60 Minutes – what’s the difference between that and sticking your head in a lion’s mouth? I said: ‘I reckon you know the chances of Tom Ellis…

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What a Poll Missed

By Carter Wrenn September 15, 2020

During Ronald Reagan’s 1976 primary Tom Ellis and I sat in a room listening to Arthur Finkelstein explain his first poll for Reagan in North Carolina – forty years later, sitting in my office across the table from Arthur, I listened to him explain his polls for George Holding. Sadly, a year later, Arthur passed…

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Politics 101

By Carter Wrenn September 14, 2020

Imagine for a moment that you’re a Republican candidate running in a down ballot race in a swing district: Your fate is in the hands of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. For example: Turnout. If Democrats vote and Republicans don’t your ship sinks – but there’s not much you can do about that. Biden and…

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An Uncomfortable Question

By Carter Wrenn June 22, 2020

The phone rang, a friend’s voice asked, ‘Do you believe John Bolton?’ ‘I do.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I’ve known him for 40 years.’ ‘So you think Trump smeared him?’ ‘Yes.’ Angry, Trump had branded John Bolton a liar, fool, washed up, whacko and a sick puppy. There’s no one quite like Trump when he’s on a tirade…

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Dan versus Roy: Every Lost Second

By Carter Wrenn June 3, 2020

Dan Forest is a good, decent man and he’s the most conservative candidate on the ballot for statewide office this fall but he’s running against an incumbent Governor who has a fine-tuned political machine with its eyes locked on beating Dan Forest. We’re a swing state and, before the coronavirus epidemic upended the world, Roy…

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Coronavirus Journal, April 5

By Carter Wrenn April 7, 2020

Coronavirus first reared its head in China in January but it wasn’t until two months later that HHS placed its first order to stockpile masks. A foible. Oklahoma ordered 16,000 face shields – FEMA sent 120,000. North Carolina ordered 500,000 coveralls – FEMA sent 306. HHS had over 16,000 ventilators in the stockpile – but…

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The Past, Never Past, Just Keeps Repeating Itself

By Carter Wrenn January 10, 2025

The Past, Never Past, Just Keeps Repeating Itself Off and running, campaign racing down the road,…

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Devil’s Whispers

By Carter Wrenn January 9, 2025

One voice roared the man who killed fourteen people in New Orleans was angry because he…

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Burying Dignity

By Gary Pearce January 9, 2025

America inters a decent, honest President and inaugurates a dishonest, indecent President. Jimmy Carter called on…

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