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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Tine’s time-out

By Gary Pearce October 17, 2015

Boweaver is a yellow-dog Democrat. He was wound up at breakfast about retiring Rep. Paul Tine of Dare County. Tine, who switched from Democrat to Unaffiliated and joined hands with House Republicans this session, has announced he’s not running again. He maintains he was undaunted by the prospect of running as an Unaffiliated, because he…

Controlling the Money

By Carter Wrenn October 16, 2015

It was modern politics at its noisiest with shouting and arm waving and bark-peeling emails flying through the ether but even by modern standards the State Republican Party blasting the Republican Leaders of the State House and Senate Leader was odd. Last spring just about every Republican Leader from Pat McCrory to Phil Berger endorsed…

Mad Republicans

By Gary Pearce October 16, 2015

Republicans are fighting mad. At each other. The Republican presidential contest is an insult-comic festival. The US House Republican caucus is cannibalizing itself. Republican members of Congress from North Carolina are knifing each other in the back. And front. Republican legislators are fighting with the Republican Board of Governors over the next UNC President. Governor…

Clay Feet

By Carter Wrenn October 15, 2015

Governor McCrory isn’t one of those politicians who lusts after power; he’s more like a genial movie star or an actor who walks onto the stage, speaks his lines, listens to the applause then moves on to the next act. The Bull Mooses in the State Senate do lust for power. They bulldoze the Governor.…

Ross rolls out

By Gary Pearce October 15, 2015

Thirty hours after Roy Cooper’s announcement and just as the Democratic presidential debate was ending, Deborah Ross announced for US Senate. If she and Cooper do as well the rest of the way as they did their first day, Democrats will be celebrating in 13 months. Her announcement video was strong. It introduced her, “rooted” her…

The $300 Million Hole

By Carter Wrenn October 14, 2015

There’s not a soul in the state who can match a Senate Bull Moose when it comes to bragging he’s a true conservative – that he’s more conservative than the Governor or any politician around. But then the Bull Mosses slipped. From the day the Senate came to town Phil Berger’s Medicaid Czar, Senator Ralph…

Hillary and the 4 Dwarfs

By Gary Pearce October 14, 2015

So now we can look forward to the Clinton-Trump debates next fall. On stage with Hillary last night were Grumpy (Sanders), Grumpier (Webb), Sleepy (O’Malley) and Dopey (Chafee). She pretty much mopped the floor with them, which happens when you’ve played the game at this level before. Clearly, only two Democrats can stop her now:…

A Shaky Proposition

By Carter Wrenn October 13, 2015

Just before the legislature left town the blog that promotes Senator Phil Berger reported hundreds of dead people were collecting Medicaid and that fraud’s gotten so bad even the Obama Administration wants a crackdown – but the warning came too late: The Honorables were headed for the exits and Phil Berger’s Medicaid Czar – Senator…

Roy rolls in

By Gary Pearce October 13, 2015

Some political pros believe that nothing in a campaign consumes more time and energy and produces less value than the announcement. But Roy Cooper showed Monday how a well-designed and well-executed announcement can launch a campaign on the right trajectory. Not least of all, Cooper got several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of free TV time…

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…