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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Radio therapy

By Gary Pearce November 17, 2016

The day after the election, I taped an interview with Chris Fitzsimon on the NC Policy Watch website. I talked about what happened and what comes next, including Roy Cooper vs the legislature, potential splits inside the Republican Party and why Deborah Ross should run against Thom Tillis in 2020. You can hear it here.…

Therapy for Democrats

By Gary Pearce November 16, 2016

My Facebook page looks like a mass therapy session for Democrats cycling through the various stages of grief. They not only vent their anger at Trump and his angry voters, they also lash out at other Democrats and lecture them on how they should feel and what they should do. No. You should feel how…

A Republican coup d’état?

By Gary Pearce November 15, 2016

Is it possible that Pat McCrory and Republican legislative leaders are so arrogant, corrupt, crooked and power-crazed that they would try to overrule the people’s decision for Governor? Gerrymandering was one thing. Voter-suppression was another. Setting aside the clear outcome of the election, without even a fig leaf of legitimacy, to keep McCrory in office…

All Shook Up

By Gary Pearce November 15, 2016

Donald Trump’s victory was the most stunning, shocking, earth-shaking, landscape-shattering election upset in American history. Nobody looked more surprised than Trump. And more than a few of his voters no doubt woke up the day after and said, “Hold on. I didn’t think he’d win.” After something so jarring, it’s human nature to minimize, rationalize…

Hope?

By Gary Pearce November 9, 2016

The American people wanted change in the worst kind of way. And they got it. There are only two messages in politics: (1) “Time for a change.” Or (2) “Stay the course.” Hillary Clinton was a status quo candidate in a change year. Trump was change. And people were willing to blow up Washington to…

Hope

By Carter Wrenn November 8, 2016

Well, it’s Election Day and we haven’t covered ourselves with glory – Hillary sounded like the meanest mother-in-law on earth yesterday and if Donald Trump ever so much as looks sideways at another blonde he ought to be committed to Bedlam. If politics is the measurement of our nation’s virtue – we’re up the creek:…

Easier to Win

By Carter Wrenn November 8, 2016

Most candidates view asking people to give money to their campaigns like having a tooth pulled; over twenty years, Jesse Helms never picked up the telephone, dialed a number, and asked for a contribution. Once, during a meeting, after Jesse finished answering questions his chief fundraiser asked the group of businessmen to contribute. After a…

Two Signs

By Carter Wrenn November 7, 2016

A threat shadowing Republican candidates has been the fear that Republicans who dislike Donald Trump (and also can’t abide Hillary) won’t vote; if these ‘Ambivalent to Trump’ Republicans worried and fretted then stayed home on Election Day it looked like it could cost every Republican from Pat McCrory to a local School Board candidate votes…

Rock Bottom but Not Boring

By Carter Wrenn November 7, 2016

Women were coming out of the woodwork for weeks pointing fingers at Donald Trump and Trump’s been saying if you really want to vote against a man who grabs and kisses women you ought to vote against Hillary because of Bill. We’ve had more sex on our hands than needed but finally it died down.…

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…