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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An Irish Column

By Carter Wrenn February 8, 2017

Last week a friend sent the column (below) from the Irish Independent in Dublin by Ian O’Doherty.                                             The Best of the Best–by a Poetic Irishman Tuesday November 8, 2016 – a day that will live in infamy, or the moment when America was made great again? The truth, as ever, will lie somewhere in…

Political Steel? Or a Boomerang?

By Carter Wrenn February 7, 2017

An email flies out saying, ‘Demonstration at the airport,’ and a thousand Democratic activists head for the airport – or to a Women’s March, Gay Pride Demonstration, Moral Monday Protest, Earth Day March or Immigration Protest. So are these protests political steel? Or, like Keg Parties and Beer Blasts, simply an occasion for activists to…

What do Democrats do now?

By Gary Pearce February 6, 2017

Two weeks into Trump’s carnage, Democrats face two questions. First, can we channel the raging torrent of marches, protests and demonstrations into election victories? Second, can we come up with a coherent and convincing message? First, elections. You win with basics: Candidate recruitment, fundraising, voter registration and voter turnout. It’s great to march, protest and…

The Curse

By Carter Wrenn February 6, 2017

He’s been a TV star, a Master Dealmaker, and a mega-tycoon but success failed to make him popular. But, a year ago, after Donald Trump announced he was running for President his unpopularity didn’t matter: Because a curse settled on his opponents. Trump was elected due to his opponents’ vices not his virtues. Now, post-election,…

Those Days Are Gone

By Carter Wrenn February 3, 2017

It’s the lynchpin of his plan: Paul Ryan wants to tax imports a trillion dollars over ten years so he can cut corporate taxes and income taxes an equal amount. It sounds straightforward. But there is an odd missing piece. A trillion dollars over ten years is $100 billion a year – and, in years…

Cooper’s (familiar) challenge

By Gary Pearce February 3, 2017

Roy Cooper has seen this movie before. This time, he plays the lead. Thirty years ago, Cooper was a freshman House member. The Governor was a Republican. Democrats controlled the General Assembly. There were only 50 Republicans among the 170 House and Senate members. And the Governor didn’t have veto power. When Governor Jim Martin…

The New Enemy

By Carter Wrenn February 2, 2017

Whether it was in his blood or whether, like a craft, it was a talent he honed he could walk into a board room and sell one group ‘the greatest deal ever’ in the morning and in the afternoon in another board room he could make the same promise to another group and since he…

Petty Pat

By Gary Pearce February 2, 2017

Judging from his HB2 emails, Pat McCrory would fit in fine with Trump. He’s thin-skinned, obsessed with how the media treats him and always whining about unfair coverage. Now, let’s be fair. All politicians obsess about how the media reports on them. But here’s what separates leaders from politicians: Leaders learn. Instead of constantly complaining,…

Trump’s brain

By Gary Pearce February 1, 2017

When Democrats look at Trump’s immigration ban, they see chaos, cruelty, carnage, confusion and controversy. Not to mention a lack of planning, a lack of coordination and even cause for impeachment. Steve Bannon sees things working out just like he planned. Bannon is Trump’s brain. Where Trump is impulsive, Bannon is strategic. Where Trump reacts…

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…