Carter is a Republican. Gary is a Democrat.

They met in 1984, during the epic U.S. Senate battle between Jesse Helms and Jim Hunt. Carter worked for Helms and Gary, for Hunt.

Years later, they became friends. They even worked together on some nonpolitical clients.

They enjoy talking about politics. So they started this blog in 2005.

They’re still talking. And they invite you to join the conversation.

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Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

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And the Oscar goes to…

By Gary Pearce February 27, 2019

If the State of the State was the Oscars, Governor Cooper won Best Performance, Democratic women legislators won Best Costume and Phil Berger was hands-down Best Villain. Once derided as dry and wooden, Cooper has transformed himself into an animated, engaging speaker. He’s got a bit of Andy Griffith in him. Berger was more like…

Will Democrats Blow It?

By Gary Pearce February 21, 2019

Over and over, Trump demonstrates why Democrats must – and should – win in 2020. And Democrats demonstrate how they can blow it, by blowing up each other over identity and ideology. The identity question is stark: Must the nominee be female or nonwhite? Are white men – Biden, Beto, Delaney, Brown, et al –…

Politics Today

By Carter Wrenn February 21, 2019

Debt’s piling up. Congress just voted for an ‘Omnibus’ Bill spending more. Cries –Trump’s a racist, Steve King’s a white supremacist, Representative Ilhan Omar’s anti-Semitic – echo through Congress but at the mention of spending cuts the room falls silent. Welcome to the Swamp.  

Wacky

By Carter Wrenn February 20, 2019

The first story I read said Democrats in Congress struck ‘so help me God’ from a key House Committee oath. The second story told how a legislator ended a prayer in the State House by saying, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ’ – and asked, Will more diverse members change who they pray to? A…

Court Politics

By Gary Pearce February 15, 2019

Since 2010 Republicans have worked mightily to engineer a Republican Supreme Court in North Carolina. Now they’re shocked, shocked, that a Democratic governor appointed a Democratic Chief Justice. Elections have consequences, as they say.  A longtime court-watcher (a Democrat) told me that while Paul Newby has been on the Supreme Court longer than Cheri Beasley,…

Pelosi Saying No

By Carter Wrenn February 14, 2019

Last month in an internet ad run by his campaign during the shutdown President Trump said: ‘I want to be able to show Senate Democrats a list of the many American voters that will NOT be happy if the Wall isn’t built. I need YOUR NAME on the list. Sign our official petition to the…

Moving Pelosi

By Carter Wrenn February 13, 2019

Before the government shutdown President Trump, defying the Democrats, walked out of a meeting and announced he’d continue the shutdown “for months or even years” – but Nancy Pelosi didn’t budge and then Ann Coulter, aghast when Trump folded and reopened the government, tweeted Trump was a ‘wimp’ and the Daily Caller added ‘Trump Caved.’…

Wrath

By Carter Wrenn February 12, 2019

Forty-six years ago J.I. Packer wrote, ‘If you want to see proof of the wrath of God just look at the world around you.’ Packer’s point was subtle: He wasn’t saying the world we see around us is a punishment caused by God’s wrath; he was saying when people ignore God, God lets them build…

Delaney in the Middle

By Gary Pearce February 7, 2019

John Delaney believes there’s a middle lane in the Democratic presidential race. Last Saturday his path brought him to Raleigh, and I had a chance to sit down with him. While some Democrats lurch to the left, Delaney says, “I’m a moderate.” He positions himself as a centrist problem-solver who can actually achieve the bipartisanship…

Obama 48-Trump 39

By Gary Pearce April 26, 2026

A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…

“Conservative Successes”?

By Gary Pearce April 23, 2026

Senator Phil Berger was out of touch with voters in his district – and suffered the…

Rise and Fall

By Gary Pearce April 21, 2026

A reassuring lesson from our trip to Germany and Czechia is that dictators, despots and tyrants…