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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Humorless

By Carter Wrenn November 6, 2012

Albert, arguing, said, You’re wrong. Folks don’t care if politicians lie and steal – they expect them to do that. What’s more, they’ll vote for a crook who can fix the potholes in their street over a bungling saint every time.   I chalked that up to an otherwise garrulous man’s streak of skepticism but…

The Redskins Rule

By Carter Wrenn November 6, 2012

I woke up yesterday feeling Romney would win but after a dozen calls from people asking about polls in Ohio (not one of which shows Romney leading) I went to bed thinking, Every single poll can’t be wrong.   This morning, at the crack of dawn, I got Dick Morris’ predictions saying all the polls…

If Obama Wins…

By Gary Pearce November 6, 2012

The baffling question is how Mitt Romney lost. If ever this was a challenger’s race to win, this was it.   The economy is bad. Obama is an activist in an anti-government age. He has never done a good job of selling his record. He was not a great candidate this year. He bombed in the…

GOP: Grand Obstruction Party

By Gary Pearce November 5, 2012

Worst rationale for voting for Romney: maybe Democrats will cooperate with him, unlike Republicans who refused to work with Obama.   D.G. Martin asked about that argument when he interviewed Carter, Tom Drew and me on WCHL last week.   That rewards obstructionism. It rewards Washington Republicans who set out from the beginning of President…

Agreeing With Tedesco

By Gary Pearce November 4, 2012

A TAPster who has no use for John Tedesco finds common ground:   “Have you taken a good look at one of John Tedesco’s yard signs in his campaign for State Superintendent?  At a stoplight today, I finally took a moment to read one.  Here’s what it says:   “’JOHN TEDESCO: Our Children Deserve Better.’…

Obama Up by a Field Goal With Three to Go

By Gary Pearce November 2, 2012

Confused by the polling superstorm? Confounded by contradictory pundits? Then get a dose of Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight blog. a deep, dense statistical analysis of the presidential race.   This week he plumbed the national and battleground-state polls. His conclusion: “Obama remains the favorite in the Electoral College.”   More:   “Mr. Obama is not a…

The Disappearance of the Machines

By Carter Wrenn November 1, 2012

For years the Democratic Party’s marched onto political battlefields and vanquished Republicans, winning every Governor’s race in North Carolina for two decades and, except for one brief hiatus, holding control of the State Senate and House in an iron grip for over a century.   But this election Pat McCrory’s led Walter Dalton in the…

Newby, O’Conner and Judicial Conduct

By Gary Pearce November 1, 2012

Here’s more fuel for the Paul Newby redistricting-recusal fire (see my blog yesterday). A lawyer notes recent comments by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner and the contents of the N.C. Code of Judicial Conduct.   O’Conner, a Republican appointed by Ronald Reagan, has strongly criticized SuperPac participation in state judicial races, the…

It’s Not Complex. It’s Simple.

By Carter Wrenn October 31, 2012

Last spring an old friend, a pollster, came to Raleigh and predicted without blinking Romney was going to win and I said, Why’s that? and he said, It’s simple. A lot of people who voted for Obama last time won’t vote for him again but I don’t know anyone who voted for McCain who is…

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…