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.

CarterWrenn200x271

Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

Archives

Categories

Democrats and 2012

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2012

There’s good news for Democrats looking ahead to the fall elections. But then there is really, really bad news.   The good news is that Obama can carry the state again. He will play hard – and spend heavy – here. That will turn out votes for the entire ticket.   Also good: the bitter…

Gone Too Far

By Carter Wrenn February 22, 2012

Campaigning up in Ohio last weekend Rick Santorum allowed that President Obama’s politics springs from his ‘world view’ which in turn springs from “some phony theology, not a theology based on the Bible.”   Obama’s campaign immediately shot back in a white heat that Santorum had just questioned the President’s Christianity.   And Santorum answered…

Reading Ayn Rand

By Gary Pearce February 22, 2012

Champions of academic freedom are scandalized, but I think this is a wonderful idea: making college students read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”   The Guilfordian, Guilford College’s campus paper, reports on a grant to the college by one of Art (“I Am Not an Heir”) Pope’s groups:   “The ten-year grant for $500,000 that Guilford…

Tata Tantrum

By Gary Pearce February 22, 2012

Tony Tata is the Karl Hess of school superintendents: a click too sensitive to criticism.   (Memo to all – and self: The next time you get mad at somebody, feel free to compose a blistering e-mail to them. Then immediately hit “Delete.” You won’t regret it.)   Tata had won over a lot of…

Immunity

By Carter Wrenn February 21, 2012

Last year when I decided to work with the trial lawyers I took a fair amount of razzing from my Republican friends – among Republicans, lawyers are not as unpopular as the Huns but it’s close. As best as I can tell the last lawyer Republicans admired was Cicero.   Anyhow, last year there were two…

Newton’s 3rd Law

By Carter Wrenn February 21, 2012

The Democrats in Raleigh haven’t looked this befuddled in years – redistricting is one source of their bewilderment but the roots of their disorder run deeper: In every state election for two decades the Raleigh Democrats have outraised Republicans by millions – this year the Democrats are staring at empty coffers and Phil Berger has…

GOP Mini-Me’s

By Gary Pearce February 21, 2012

The GOP 13th Congressional District race looks like a mini-version of the Republican presidential race.   George Holding is playing the part of Mitt Romney: establishment conservative focusing on cutting spending and deficits (and ignoring the reality that Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush gave us the biggest deficits ever).   Paul Coble…

Cross Your Fingers

By Gary Pearce February 21, 2012

Can Democrats get so lucky? Will the Republicans really nominate Rick Santorum?   I had high hopes for Newt Gingrich. But, once again, he has proven to be the Hindenburg of American politics: a huge vessel of hot air doomed to go down in flames.   Clearly, Mitt Romney would be the toughest Republican in…

PR 101 – for Refs, Too

By Gary Pearce February 20, 2012

Listen up, ACC execs and refs: Any Big Shot today has to be open, honest and accountable. No comment and not answering questions won’t cut it.   Full disclosure: I was at the State game Saturday, and I’m a big fan of the Pack. But I pride myself on never getting after the refs (they’re…

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…

Enough is Enough

By Gary Pearce March 11, 2026

Exactly 80 years ago, in 1946, Republicans took control of Congress with a simple message: “Had…