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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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…

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…

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…

Lobbyists Rankings – A Sham?

By Luther Snyder January 23, 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:   One of the most distasteful and useless public policy efforts in North Carolina is underway,  and hardly anyone knows it.   The NC Center for Public Policy Research…

Network

By Carter Wrenn January 23, 2012

Does it seem the Republican debates have become a lot like a ‘reality show?’   Herman Cain gets voted off the island.   The bachelorette says no to Rick Perry.   Michelle Bachman gets voted off Dancing with the Stars?   And – in the season finale – we’ll know America’s New Idol.   Up…

That’s Entertainment…

By Carter Wrenn January 20, 2012

Ole’ Mitt Romney’s hit a rough patch – a week ago he was the conqueror of Iowa and New Hampshire and rolling to victory in South Carolina then his victory in Iowa vanished in front of his eyes and Newt shot past him in South Carolina.   The Republican Establishment’s a peculiar beast: Armed with…

Politics South of the Border

By Gary Pearce January 20, 2012

It was reputedly Robert E. Lee who said, “the problem with South Carolina is that it’s too small to be its own nation, but too large to be an insane asylum.” General Lee should have lived to see this year’s Republican primary.   Stephen Colbert’s candidacy officially makes the race the best comedy show on…

Mitticisms

By Gary Pearce January 19, 2012

Mitt Romney has a worse case of Rich Foot in Mouth disease than George H.W. Bush and John Kerry combined. A few favorites:   “I like being able to fire people.”   “I had to worry about a pink slip.”   (Of his $374,000-plus in speaking fees): “It wasn’t very much money.”   (Of the…

How Bev Wins

By Gary Pearce January 18, 2012

A supporter of Governor Perdue makes this strong and succinct case for her tax proposal:   “It could work out for her. She won’t get it unless there’s a groundswell of the public against our per child expenditure being 49th in the nation. If that happens she wins in a walk. If the legislature shoots…

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…