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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No Joke

By Gary Pearce May 15, 2012

All kidding aside, here’s why Democrats fear the David Parker fiasco could sink the party this year:   Parker promised the party’s gubernatorial nominee he would step down. Then he didn’t.   So people in Washington who decide how much national campaign money flows through the Democratic Party to North Carolina ask a simple question:…

Render Unto Caesar

By Carter Wrenn May 14, 2012

Back in 2010 instead of giving a million dollars to candidates the Democratic Party decided to give the money to local party officials to spend; it didn’t work out too well as the Democrats lost control of both the State House and Senate but it was popular with local officials who then elected bow-tied David…

Time to Pull Over

By Gary Pearce May 14, 2012

A frustrated TAPster vents at both parties:   “The ‘check engine’ light is flashing on the dashboard of North Carolina politics, and a quick look under the hood shows the problem is more than a bad tank of gas.   “We are emerging (hopefully) from a generation of incompetent political leaders. Governor Perdue’s mindless comparison…

Just Kidding

By Gary Pearce May 14, 2012

After I posted my blog on the Democratic Executive Committee’s meeting being a plot hatched by Art (“I Am Not An Heir”) Pope, a TAPster emailed me: “You’re being facetious, right?” Surprised, I replied: “Of course.”   She wrote back: “I figured, but you’d be amazed how many of my rabidly Dem friends are posting…

Backwards

By Carter Wrenn May 14, 2012

Like almost everything else in modern times politics has changed – in odd ways.  In the old days when Jesse would run for Senate the Republican parties scattered across counties across the state had one mission: They figured their job was to elect Republican candidates. A lot of times what they could do was limited…

The Manchurian Committee

By Gary Pearce May 13, 2012

There is only one logical explanation for what happened at the Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting: It was a vast right-wing conspiracy masterminded by the Dr. Evil of North Carolina politics, Art (“I Am Not An Heir”) Pope.   Here’s how the nefarious scheme worked:   Years ago, Pope saw that David Parker had run…

Nobody Likes a Bully

By Gary Pearce May 12, 2012

Contrary to how things looked after North Carolina passed the marriage amendment, Gay Politics Week may end up hurting Mitt Romney far more than President Obama.   It’s telling that Republicans didn’t pile onto Obama after Joe (Gabby) Biden forced him to come out of the closet.   Then the story exploded about Romney organizing…

The Rules

By Gary Pearce May 11, 2012

A TAPster reminds me that Tuesday’s primaries reinforce the three rules of politics:   Rule 1: Money talks.   Rule 2: Never forget Rule 1.   Rule 3: There are no other rules in politics.   When Bob Etheridge conceded Tuesday night, he said he didn’t like raising money, but he sure enjoyed visiting 45…

Baldwin Runs for Chair

By Gary Pearce May 10, 2012

I question Mary-Ann Baldwin’s sanity. But I hope she gets elected state Democratic Party chair. The party desperately needs someone who can raise hell, raise money and referee all the players this fall.   One of the worst political rumors I heard this week – and that covers a lot of ground – is that…

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…