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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Sound Familiar?

By Carter Wrenn October 28, 2011

The more things change…the more they stay the same.   The European Union has come up with a master-plan to cure the Greek debt crisis and avoid financial Armageddon.   The European Bankers are going to eat half (instead of all) of their bad Greek loans. Then the Euro-Union is going to set up a…

Finding a Dark Lining

By Gary Pearce October 28, 2011

The stock market goes up 340 points. It may go up more in October than in any month in 25 years. It even looks like the economy is growing rather than going into another recession.   Great news, right?   No. The L.A. Times finds the rat turd in the Dow Jones Index sugar bowl:…

A Sure-Fire Way…

By Carter Wrenn October 27, 2011

It’s a near-perfect metaphor: We’ve got Congress in debt up to its eyeballs and the President’s cutting the cost of government subsidized student loans.   It’s classic. And unstoppable.   Just before the election Obama’s going to make millions of new friends: He’s going to lower their student loan debts by increasing the government debts…

David Brooks Is Wrong

By Gary Pearce October 27, 2011

A highlight of reading The New York Times on Tuesdays and Fridays is David Brooks’ columns. He’s intelligent, interesting and insightful.   But he’s all wrong (“The Fighter Fallacy”) when he says President Obama is all wrong to come out swinging against Republicans. He can’t win that way, Brooks says.   Yes, he can.  …

Birth of the Boaters

By Gary Pearce October 27, 2011

A Republican friend tells me that Florida Senator Marco Rubio is the GOP’s star of the future: the perfect 2012 running and/or perfect candidate for President in 2016.   So – to go with the Birther movement that questions whether President Obama is really from around here – Democrats need to launch a Boater movement…

Debating Debates

By Gary Pearce October 26, 2011

Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post opined that debates are “no way to pick a President.” I beg to differ.   Her opinion is rooted in a media misunderstanding of what voters look for in debates. She wrote: “Now we judge a candidate’s worthiness for public office as much according to his stage performance as…

From China With Love

By Gary Pearce October 25, 2011

Governor Perdue reached across the Pacific to Washington last week to make a point that signals her 2012 strategy: Republicans are hurting education.   While she was in China, her office sent a letter to Senators Hagan and Burr endorsing “The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act.”   She wrote that the bill,…

Trial By Ordeal

By Carter Wrenn October 24, 2011

In 1996 six months after Steve Forbes began his campaign for President his brother Tim told me, Here’s how Presidential campaigns work: They stand my brother up on stage then they strip all his clothes off and beat him to a pulp. But in a way it makes sense. Because, I guess, people figure if…

Selective Credit

By Gary Pearce October 24, 2011

It was interesting watching Republicans react to the death of Gadhafi and the end of his regime. It pained them to give President Obama any credit.   They strained instead to find a way to give credit to President Bush.   Just like when Osama was killed. The Republicans were quick to credit Bush.  …

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…