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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The Smell Test

By Carter Wrenn August 4, 2016

It’s an odd sort of logic: UNC-Chapel Hill lawyered up and made its case to the NCAA: It admitted it held phony classes that never met; it admitted football and basketball players were in the classes – but said none of that’s a problem because phony classes don’t violate NCAA rules. It’s an unusual argument…

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Mad Man

By Gary Pearce August 3, 2016

We knew that when a woman ran for President there’d be talk about being temperamental, overly emotional, overly sensitive and subject to mood swings that might be dangerous in the Oval Office and Situation Room. We just didn’t know that talk would be about the man in the race. But since he won the Republican…

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Thanks to The Observer

By Gary Pearce July 30, 2016

During the conventions the past two weeks, The Charlotte Observer published daily posts by Carter and me. We thank Taylor Batten and Peter St. Onge for the invitation and the guidance. We’ve been honored to do it, we’ve had great response and our blog got new readers. But we’re glad it’s over. Writing for a…

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TrumPutin

By Gary Pearce July 29, 2016

What exactly did Donald Trump mean when he said Vladimir Putin is a “better leader” than President Obama and “is doing a better job”? Does he mean Russia is a better country? That it has a stronger economy? A fairer society? Better government? Or is more respected and admired around the world? Or does he…

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Two Americas

By Gary Pearce July 29, 2016

The Democratic and Republican conventions offered two starkly different visions of America. Here’s how this old Democrat sees them. Hillary Clinton’s is bright and optimistic. Donald Trump’s is dark and pessimistic. Clinton says there’s hope. Trump says he’s the only hope.   Clinton is about love and unity. Trump is about fear and loathing.   Clinton says…

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A Public Debate

By Carter Wrenn July 28, 2016

Political campaigns are odd creatures: There’re born, grow like crazy, live in chaos, then die on a set date. Back in the late 1970’s, Republicans leaped a generation ahead of Democrats in the arts (from fundraising to communicating with voters) of nourishing these strange creatures.   But those days are gone. At their convention in…

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End of the Obama era

By Gary Pearce July 28, 2016

As President Obama joked on Jimmy Fallon’s show not long ago, “How do you like me now?” Well, pretty good, the polls show. Especially as we ponder what comes next. As Michelle and Barack elegantly and eloquently exit the Democratic convention this week, let’s salute what they brought to the White House: eight years of…

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An Old Plumb Line

By Carter Wrenn July 27, 2016

Clicking back and forth between Fox News and CNN, watching the Democratic Convention, was like watching two different conventions. From two different worlds. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was roundly booed by Bernie Sanders’ supporters. But, then, Michelle Obama righted the Democrats’ ship with her speech Monday night – and proof of her effectiveness is the non-existent…

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Berning down the house

By Gary Pearce July 27, 2016

The bitterest fights are always inside the family. So it is with the Republican and Democratic conventions. Donald Trump has Ted Cruz (and John Kasich and Jeb Bush and…). Hillary Clinton has Bernie Sanders. At least Sanders endorsed Clinton. But not all his supporters buy it. There is a certain self-righteousness among some Sanders supporters…

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The Price our Children Pay

By Carter Wrenn April 4, 2025

The morning after the Pearl Harbor, surrounded by men he grew up with, standing in a…

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Bickering away…

By Carter Wrenn April 3, 2025

I opened the newspaper, read most Americans are fed up with bickering…that what they really want…

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Carter Wrenn’s Political Trail

By Gary Pearce April 3, 2025

My blogging partner Carter Wrenn has written a revealing and engaging memoir of his years in…

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