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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Tillis’ Choice

By Gary Pearce February 12, 2025

Senator Thom Tillis is a good politician. He may be good enough to preserve his image as a Serious Senator who works across the aisle AND avoid being primaried next year by Trump. He may avoid losing to Roy Cooper next November. But what a miserable, degrading path he must tread every day. He knows…

A Democrat to Watch

By Gary Pearce February 10, 2025

No, Trump’s blitzkrieg hasn’t left Democrats hapless, hopeless and rudderless. Here’s one example of the immense talent on the Democratic team: Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. He caught my attention with several recent posts @ChrisMurphyCT: “Yesterday Trump unveiled his priorities for his tax bill…. It’s a massive tax giveaway to the rich and powerful, financed…

Always Wrong

By Carter Wrenn February 7, 2025

It’s a kind of mystery – will hitting Canada and Mexico with tariffs land us in the promised land or in a ditch? The Wall Street Journal, shaking its head, saw Trump’s tariffs as a bad idea. Trump whacked back, calling the Journal ‘always wrong.’ The Wall Street Journal isn’t always right but it isn’t…

Broken Egg Promise

By Gary Pearce February 7, 2025

Waffle House shows Trump lied – and broke his biggest promise. He promised, “when I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.” This week, Waffle House put a 50-cent surcharge on every egg it serves. It’s the Trump Egg Tax. All over the country, egg prices are going up in grocery…

Who Pays the Price

By Carter Wrenn February 5, 2025

Wiley lifted his cell phone, held it in the air in front of him, pushed a button, turned the phone toward Fred. ‘This is Trump’s new ad.’ Leaning forward, shoulders hunched, Fred watched. Rocking back, laughed. ‘That’s great.’ Parting his lips in a crooked grin, voice sharp, grating, Wiley turned to me. ‘I’m guessing in…

Going Too Far

By Carter Wrenn February 3, 2025

Cheeks round, pudgy fingers fumbling, Ellmer took a newspaper article out of his briefcase, pushed it across the table toward me: ‘I’ll bet you disagwee with Trump on this?’  Sputtering, unable to pronounce r’s, he turned them into w’s. Sitting beside him Wiley’s lips curled in a crooked grin – at the end of the…

Dividing Line

By Gary Pearce February 3, 2025

Trump has done America a big favor: in just two weeks, he’s drawn a bright line between decency and cruelty, honesty and dishonesty, courage and cowardice, competence and incompetence, compassion and contempt. If you want the freedom to openly show your bigotry and prejudice, you stand with Trump. If you want the liberty to tell…

A Show

By Carter Wrenn January 31, 2025

Addison McDowell worked for Ted Budd, worked as a lobbyist, 31 years old ran for Congress, got Trump’s endorsement in the primary, headed to a runoff with Mark Walker. Trump offered Walker a job – Walker got out of the race. McDowell won, took the oath of office, posted on X he’d sponsored a bill…

Chaos, Carnage and Cruelty

By Gary Pearce January 31, 2025

Trump doesn’t care how much chaos he creates, how much carnage he causes and how much cruelty he inflicts on people, including his own supporters. It’s all about making himself look big, strong and powerful. It’s all a show. Before, it was The Apprentice. Now, it’s The President. He makes a show of signing executive…

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…

Rise and Fall

By Gary Pearce April 21, 2026

A reassuring lesson from our trip to Germany and Czechia is that dictators, despots and tyrants…