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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Talking ’bout Two Generations

By Gary Pearce January 31, 2012

Last week I was literally at sea – on a cruise. For the last 48 hours, I’ve been immersed in the stormy seas of Democratic politics.   The first thing that struck me is the generational divide.   Many older Democrats (i.e. – older than me) see Perdue’s decision as a potential disaster and Erskine…

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Don’t Run, Erskine

By Gary Pearce January 31, 2012

Prediction: Erskine Bowles won’t run. Suggestion: He shouldn’t.   Yesterday I gave Laura Leslie and Rob Christensen all the reasons Erskine would be a great governor. The problem is that he’s a terrible candidate. Even he has admitted: “I have empirical data that I was a terrible politician.”   He has proven it twice. That…

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Quitting Time

By Gary Pearce January 30, 2012

In politics, you’re never beaten until you give up. Governor Perdue is now officially beaten.   She proclaims she’ll keep fighting and she’s no lame duck. She apparently gave a rousing speech to the Sanford-Hunt-Frye dinner. Still, she’s laying down her sword and walking off the field of battle.   No doubt she feels beat…

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Back in Port

By Gary Pearce January 30, 2012

I’m just back from a week-long cruise to the western Caribbean – Grand Cayman, Honduras and Mexico. Did I miss anything?   I’ll be catching up and weighing in. Plenty of material from last week!   Thanks to Luther Snyder, Nation Hahn and the anonymous bloggers for their great contributions last week. They set a…

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Want to win the Governor’s race? Learn social media.

By nationhahn January 27, 2012

With Governor Perdue’s announcement that she will not seek reelection the North Carolina political landscape has shuffled quickly. As of today, candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor (with Walter Dalton’s entry into the Governor’s race) have 107 days to raise money, reach voters, and win a statewide primary. This compressed schedule is unprecedented in North…

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Follow the Logic

By Carter Wrenn January 26, 2012

Explaining that his chances of winning reelection look dim, this morning Democratic Congressman Brad Miller announced he will not run.   About an hour later Governor Beverly Perdue explained that, because the one thing she cares most about is schoolchildren (who, she added, are victims of Republican legislators cutting spending), she’s not running either.  …

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Media Locked

By Luther Snyder January 26, 2012

Gary is taking a break this week from consulting, blogging and politics. He invited several TAPsters to contribute blogs during his hiatus. Here’s one of them: Art Pope likely has never thought of himself as allied with the oft-bashed-as-liberal news media, but the mainstream media has succeeded in giving undeserved credibility to Pope’s squadron of…

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PR 101

By Luther Snyder January 25, 2012

Gary is taking a break this week from consulting, blogging and politics. He invited several TAPsters to contribute blogs during his hiatus. Here’s one of them: Mitt Romney’s reluctance to turnover his tax returns proves yet again how important it is to FALL FORWARD FAST in politics.  What started out as a refusal by Romney…

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What’s Wrong with this Picture?

By Carter Wrenn January 24, 2012

Someone ought to say a kind word about Ron Paul – after all, he may be the last of an almost extinct species in American public life: An honest politician.   A politician who doesn’t spin at all.   Ask Newt about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and he’ll tell you they paid him for…

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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…

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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…

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A Show

By Carter Wrenn January 31, 2025

Addison McDowell worked for Ted Budd, worked as a lobbyist, 31 years old ran for Congress,…

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