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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Feed the Birds!

By Gary Pearce January 6, 2017

With snow in the forecast, this is my annual reminder – for the sake of our feathered friends and in memory of my father. First, the birds. Snow covers up the seeds, bugs, worms and other delicacies they eat. So, Feed the Birds! When you stock up on bread, milk, toilet paper, wine and brownie…

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Storm warnings

By Gary Pearce January 5, 2017

The weather forecast this weekend is the Universe’s way of preparing North Carolina for the next four years: Big storms are coming, nobody can predict what will happen and there is maximum risk to life, limb and political futures. And, just to squeeze the last drops from this metaphor, any slip-ups can be fatal, only…

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A Breach of Trust?

By Carter Wrenn December 30, 2016

Along with other protestors the professor was evicted from the State Senate gallery by the police. Then, a day or so later, he published an op-ed but he didn’t argue the legislature stripping Roy Cooper of his power was illegal – he called it a breach of trust. Since the majority of people had voted…

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A Twitter Brawl

By Carter Wrenn December 29, 2016

On Christmas Day an editor at Buzzfeed News contacted Sean Spicer the RNC spokesman and Spicer tweeted back: “When you asked me if that Trump/”new King”/Jesus comparison was intentional: I hope you were kidding.” It was too late. A brawl had already broken out on Twitter with a legion of tweeters – like ‘Sentient Space…

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Petty Pat

By Gary Pearce December 29, 2016

Some pundits, clearly suffering from too much holiday cheer, have strained to say kind things about Pat McCrory in his final days. Not me. I’m taking one more shot on his way out. Earlier in his one (blessedly) term, McCrory took a stand against legislative overreach. The legislature’s appointments to a coal ash commission, in…

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Hitler and Fake News

By Carter Wrenn December 28, 2016

Even with four degrees behind him Eric remains untouched by either pretension or the wonders of the Internet – so it came as a surprise when I asked, Did you buy the book about Hitler? and he said, I looked it up on the internet. It said the book compares Trump to Hitler. Hitler wasn’t…

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A New Year’s Resolution for Democrats

By Gary Pearce December 28, 2016

Let’s resolve to stop over-analyzing why Trump won. And start focusing on winning state and local elections, beginning in 2017. Yes, Clinton’s loss was stunning and demoralizing. But over-analysis breeds paralysis. And blinds us to more-pressing problems. Democrats are in far better shape in presidential races than down the ballot. For all that went wrong,…

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The HB2 “trust” canard

By Gary Pearce December 27, 2016

This is a case of false equivalence. Republicans say it and reporters buy it, but Democrats should reject it. The canard – a big lie, really – is that the failed HB2 repeal has led to a regrettable lack of trust between Democrats and Republicans in Raleigh. And, by extension, that both sides are equally…

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McCroryCare

By Gary Pearce December 26, 2016

In their rush to strip power from Roy Cooper, Republican legislative bosses talked about a going-away present for Pat McCrory: free health-care coverage for life. That perk fell by the wayside, however. Which just proves that karma is real. Maybe now McCrory feels the pain of the hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who didn’t…

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The View from Iceland

By Gary Pearce November 18, 2024

If you seek political asylum the next four years, try Iceland. We went there last week…

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Recessional

By Carter Wrenn November 11, 2024

The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kings depart: Still stands Thine ancient…

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Mistakes and Miss-Takes

By Gary Pearce November 10, 2024

Bert Bennett of Winston-Salem, the legendary political godfather to Terry Sanford and Jim Hunt, had a…

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