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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Jim Hunt at 80 and 40

By Gary Pearce May 23, 2017

Former Governor Jim Hunt celebrated his 80th birthday last week. And this year marks 40 years since his first year as Governor. Last Thursday evening, Governor and Mrs. Cooper hosted Governor and Carolyn Hunt, their family and about 200 “Hunt alumni” – from 16 years of staff, Cabinet and campaign teams – for a wonderful…

Scoop Breaks Record

By Carter Wrenn May 22, 2017

Imagine: A reporter leaning over a computer, eyes locked on Donald Trump’s face, watches the President’s lips begin to move, hears the words ‘Great,’ ‘Huge’ and ‘Fake News’ and goes a little berserk – then the phone rings and a voice says sitting in the Oval Office with the Russian Ambassador the President did the…

Follow the Money

By Gary Pearce May 17, 2017

That’s the guidance Deep Throat gave Bob Woodward through Watergate. It also applies to Trumpgate. (Of course, it’s hard to follow anything given the velocity with which Trump is trampling the government, national security and the Constitution.) With Trump, it’s always about the money. His money. That’s his Russia tie. Not just the long red one…

Show Business

By Carter Wrenn May 16, 2017

CNN said Roger told Donald he ought to fire Comey and Donald Tweeted “Fake news. Have not spoken to Roger in a long time.” Then Roger told ABC he’d spoken to Donald “very recently.” It was an odd sort of disagreement between two old friends that left ‘Trumpistas’ angry, liberals outraged and the media in…

2 Tyrants, 1 Leader

By Gary Pearce May 15, 2017

Trump saw the FBI on his trail. So he fired Comey. Senate Boss Berger was enraged that Democrats had the gall to propose amendments to his budget. So at 3 am he rammed through an amendment taking money away from schools in Democratic districts. Those were the actions of tyrants. There’s another way. Governor Cooper…

Mill Wheels

By Carter Wrenn May 12, 2017

It was part circus and part melodrama but the mill wheels were grinding, even if it left you shaking your head: On Twitter Trump was hollering ‘Ask her who leaked the classified information’ and, at the same time, the Democrats were howling ‘Prove Flynn was Trump’s go-between with the Russians.’ A trio of Republican Senators…

Katie-Bar-the-Door

By Carter Wrenn May 8, 2017

He leaned forward pouring over page after page of numbers, searching for a lodestar, then stopped: ‘Republicans are dropping. Democrats are dropping. Independents are going up. There’ll be more registered Independents than Republicans by the end of the year,’ he said and I asked, ‘Did you see Pat McCrory’s TV interview?’      ‘You mean where…

A Temptation He Can’t Resist

By Carter Wrenn May 5, 2017

“I was all set to terminate. I looked forward to terminating. I was going to do it,” Trump told the reporter. But he didn’t terminate so, in the next breath, he was telling the reporter, “I get a call from Mexico yesterday, ‘We hear you’re going to terminate NAFTA.’ I said that’s right. They said,…

The Pond-Skater

By Carter Wrenn May 3, 2017

David Brooks, the columnist, felt a sea-change. Last fall, before the election, liberals saw Donald Trump as a buffoon who couldn’t possibly win the election then, on Election Night, right in front of their eyes, the clown turned into a dragon. After the election – as the dragon headed for Washington – the shaken liberals…

Independents Turn Against GOP

By Gary Pearce March 17, 2026

North Carolina voters don’t like either the Democratic or Republican parties. But Independent voters – who…

Getting the News

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2026

How do you get your news? Our statewide poll asked North Carolina voters what their primary…

MAGA-gator

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2026

Thom Tillis and Phil Berger fed the MAGA alligator. Then it ate them. Thomas Mills wrote…