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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Infection?

By Carter Wrenn March 22, 2018

It was the kind of thing district attorneys do all the time: Robert Mueller was fishing. He subpoenaed Trump and Company for all the documents they had that mentioned nine of Trump’s associates. But on Meet the Press, Chuck Todd,  erupting, reported because of the subpoena, “Sources say the President is ‘unglued’ as chaos plagues…

Walking Around in a Fog

By Carter Wrenn March 21, 2018

In the blink of an eye, CNN, pouncing, announced the real reason Hope Hicks had resigned – it reported after Trump had read she said she’d told ‘little white lies’ for him, he’d berated her, asking, How could you be so stupid? CBS had it’s own theory: It reported that a titanic power struggle was…

People, not politics

By Gary Pearce March 20, 2018

To paraphrase JFK, defeat is an orphan and victory has a thousand theorists. A thousand theories bloomed after Conor Lamb won in Pennsylvania last week. Democrats say, “There’s a 20-point anti-Trump wave. Just think of all the places we’ll win!” Or, “Lamb won because he ran away from Nancy Pelosi.” Or, “he won because he…

Reality Show Politics

By Carter Wrenn March 20, 2018

The state Democratic Party heard the Republican Party was making automated calls, had heart palpitations, and filed a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s office. The Consumer Protection Agency sent the complaint to the Republican Party – and asked for a response. When GOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse read the Democrats…

A Cautious Man and a Joint Committee

By Carter Wrenn March 19, 2018

For years, whenever Roy Cooper passed on running for Governor, people would smile and say, Ole Roy — he’s just naturally cautious. The other day when Governor Cooper announced he’d granted the gas pipeline companies the state permit they needed the way he explained it sounded fine: We’d get a pipeline. Plus the companies would…

Grant’s Tome

By Gary Pearce March 14, 2018

We need a break from Trump. So I’m reading and blogging about other, greater leaders. Monday, it was Nelson Mandela. Today it’s Ulysses Grant, always rated one of the worst Presidents. Until Trump. Ron Chernow’s thousand-page biography hasn’t done for Grant what Chernow did for Alexander Hamilton. Maybe Grant needs a Broadway musical. Before I…

What great leaders do

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2018

Given what passes for leadership today, let’s look at what a real leader once said. This is from a speech by Nelson Mandela when he was rebuilding a country that had been torn apart by apartheid and racial hatred: “During my political career, I have discovered that in all communities, African, coloured, Indian and white,…

Digging a Hole Deeper

By Carter Wrenn March 12, 2018

Policy Watch broadsided Duane Hall, claiming he’d sexually harassed women; in a flash, Democrats from Roy Cooper on down demanded Hall resign from the legislature. Hall slipped, said he’d only kissed one woman who didn’t want to be kissed, then, a day later, said Policy Watch slammed him because he (a 50-year-old man) had once…

Once There Was a Time…

By Carter Wrenn March 9, 2018

When President Trump nominated Tom Farr for the vacant federal judgeship in eastern North Carolina, Anthony Spearman, the head of the state NAACP, headed to Washington to disagree. But his pilgrimage took an odd twist when he compared Tom Farr to Adolph Hitler. Trump appointing Hitler? Pure political bluster. But fiction took on a life…

Political Shots Fired

By Gary Pearce April 28, 2026

The political sniping began even as chaos still reigned at the White House Correspondents Dinner. My…

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…