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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GOP Autopsy

By Gary Pearce November 14, 2011

A Republican friend in Wake County offers this take on last week’s election:   “The Republicans were doomed from the start on this election for school board. It was over before it started.    “Definitely they earned an ‘F’ in PR, Message, and Branding of their board.  Us GOP’ers wished Tedesco would have just went…

Saluting Joe Dickerson

By Gary Pearce November 11, 2011

This Veterans Day, I salute my stepfather, Joe Dickerson of Murfreesboro, N.C.   Joe was a country kid who had never been farther than Richmond when the Army shipped him to England to train for D-Day. He was in the first wave at Omaha Beach. His regiment – 116th Infantry, 29th Division – lost more…

$139 Million Oops

By Gary Pearce November 10, 2011

A TAPster says Rep. Nelson Dollar this week in effect admitted that Governor Perdue was right about Medicaid:   “Republicans in the General Assembly finally acknowledged their mistakes in the DHHS budget on Tuesday. Now they should reverse the damage their budget is doing to our schools too. “Their DHHS budget created a $139 million…

A Strategy for Perdue

By Gary Pearce November 10, 2011

The Wake school board election blazes Governor Perdue’s best – and maybe only – path to reelection: Save our schools from the Tea Party.   John Tedesco & Co. charge that Democrats somehow played dirty by airing Heather Losurdo’s stunning lack of credentials. They’re going for the cape and missing the bullfighter.   Tedesco &…

School Board Lessons

By Gary Pearce November 9, 2011

At breakfast this morning I asked my politically astute friend what the Wake school board outcome means. His response: “Democrats aren’t dead.”   He added, “North Carolina isn’t a red state. And it’s not a blue state. It’s a 52-48 state” – exactly the margin of Kevin Hill’s victory. And, remember, in a district gerrymandered…

majority-Minority Districts

By Carter Wrenn November 8, 2011

Well, in a minor miracle, the Obama Justice Department said yes and put its seal of approval on the North Carolina Republicans’ new House and Senate Districts, then, before the ink was dry on the page, the North Carolina Democrats filed a lawsuit to stop the plan Obama had just approved.   It’s an odd…

Rules of Engagement

By Gary Pearce November 8, 2011

A TAPster offers advice for people in politics – or any calling  – who want to avoid being the next Herman Cain, or the next victim:   “Sexual harassment is wrong. Period. When a man, woman or child says no, it must stop immediately.   “Having said that, there are lessons for us all in…

Cain’s Scrutiny

By Gary Pearce November 7, 2011

Twenty years ago, another presidential candidate who had been rising in the polls ran into a sex scandal.   Bill Clinton survived. And went on to be President for eight years – Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky notwithstanding.   So maybe Democrats shouldn’t get too high and mighty about the allegations against Herman…

One Sin

By Carter Wrenn November 7, 2011

Over in Orange County the Democratic Commissioners would like to raise sales taxes, so there’s a referendum on the ballot on Election Day, which, normally, would lead to a fight between Democrats and Republicans – but that’s not how it works in Chapel Hill. Instead, the tax raisers have spared themselves a lot of strain…

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…