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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Gold Bars

By Carter Wrenn 2023-09-27

Well, Democrats are using the Justice Department as a weapon again – but this time they threw Republicans a curveball: After FBI agents found envelopes stuffed with cash, shining gold bars, and a Mercedes convertible at his home he didn’t pay for, they indicted a Democrat for taking bribes. When Trump says Biden’s using the…

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School-Voucher Scam

By Gary Pearce 2023-09-26

For all the news sources in North Carolina, no one has done more to expose the school-voucher scam than a seventh-grade English teacher in Charlotte, Justin Parmenter. To see how vouchers misuse tax dollars and hurt public schools, follow him on Facebook, Twitter @JustinParmenter and his website, Notes from the Chalkboard. He found that the…

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Without Both?

By Carter Wrenn 2023-09-26

Democrats are enjoying seeing Trump in court – while Trump calls the lawsuits against him a ‘witch hunt.’ So is Biden on a witch hunt – or did Trump break the law? Here’s a question no one asks: What if both are true? What if Biden got Jack Smith to indict Trump? And what if…

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The Age of Social Media

By Carter Wrenn 2023-09-25

Abrasive but entertaining politicians rant on Facebook, Twitter – and legions of people follow them. After Jeff Jackson landed in Congress he made a video. Oddly, he didn’t rant, he talked calmly – 3 million people watched. He made more videos without a rant – and over a million people watched each video. How’d he…

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Moral and Political Failure

By Gary Pearce 2023-09-23

The casinos-for-Medicaid deal collapsed in the state legislature partly because it was an epic political miscalculation. It was also profoundly cynical and morally wrong. The Republican leaders, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore, did the impossible: They united Trump Republicans and almost all Democrats against the deal. Democrats were outraged by…

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Teenagers

By Carter Wrenn 2023-09-22

Mocking, hurling insults, on social media he called people, ‘Morons… Stupid… Dummies…Fascist Monsters…Hacks and Thugs.’ And every time he erupted people laughed, or cheered, or hurled insults back. Here’s a question: When your children talked that way as teenagers did you tell them to stop? So who’s calling people ‘thugs?’ Here’s a clue: He’s leading…

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January 6, 2000

By Carter Wrenn 2023-09-21

Jaw set Trump said, ‘Democrats have been saying for 20 years elections were stolen but not one got indicted.’ Early on election night back in 2000 TV networks announced Al Gore won Florida – later that night, about facing, the same networks said George Bush won Florida by a handful of votes. Angry politicians roared,…

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Humor Helps

By Carter Wrenn 2023-09-20

I got an email titled ‘Old Sayings Still True Today:’ If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates – Jay Leno The problem with political jokes is they get elected We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office – Aesop When I was a boy I…

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Bonding Over BBQ

By Gary Pearce 2023-09-20

Anderson Clayton reminds me of Jim Hunt: the same energy, the same enthusiasm and the same determination to make North Carolina better – through the Democratic Party. A couple of us old Hunt hands saw that this week when the 86-year-old four-term governor and the 25-year-old first-term party chair met for the first time, at…

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We Have to Get Rid of Both

By Carter Wrenn 2024-05-09

Kristi Noem’s attractive. Long brown hair. Glossy lips. A MAGA superstar on Trump’s list of picks…

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Protest Politics

By Gary Pearce 2024-05-08

Two things have been true throughout American history: We love to protest, but we hate protesters.…

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Straddling the Fence

By Carter Wrenn 2024-05-08

It used to be Democratic politicians marched in a phalanx behind Israel. Joe Biden did. For…

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