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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Divisiveness Loses

By Gary Pearce October 12, 2011

A TAPster sees a factor in Tuesday’s elections apart from the party angle:   “There’s an important lesson tucked in the outcome of Raleigh’s school board election Tuesday when voters kicked out the divisive school board chairman.   “It’s not a lesson about Democrats vs. Republicans, even though the N&O and its political pundit Rob…

Wakeup Call

By Gary Pearce October 12, 2011

It was a rout. Democrats were fired up and ready to go.   They were mad about more than the school board. They were mad about the 2010 elections, the Republican legislature, the Tea Party, even Art (“I am not an heir”) Pope.   Incidentally, Tuesday’s results show that Pope’s power was exaggerated by the…

Ambivalent Bev

By Gary Pearce October 11, 2011

Now we see why it took Governor Perdue so long to come out against the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.   First, she was waiting to put it out Friday afternoon – in hopes nobody would notice. Not just any Friday afternoon, but the one right before the Columbus Day-fall break weekend.   Second, it…

Running With Randall

By Gary Pearce October 10, 2011

Dr. Randall Williams’ brief political career is liable to end in today’s election. Which I regret, because he could give Raleigh politics a refreshing – and recurring – regimen of: “What’s with that?”   Like his haircut. (Click here.) What’s with that?   Then there’s the odd, full-page ad in The N&O today.  What’s with…

How to Win Friends Political Style (It Beats Dale Carnegie)

By Carter Wrenn October 10, 2011

It didn’t work out too well when Congress went into the home loan business a couple of years ago – so it seems odd the Raleigh City Council wants to do the same thing.   However, just about everyone in town seems to think passing a bond to borrow millions so the Council can make…

How to Make Friends the Political Way – Part II

By Carter Wrenn October 10, 2011

The other borrowing the Raleigh City Council has put on the ballot is a Transportation Bond. Which sounds like the Council wants to borrow money to repair potholes and build new streets. Except the newspaper reported three-fourths of the money isn’t for roads.   Almost everyone it seems is for this bond too. And if…

Too Much for Ellmers!

By Gary Pearce October 8, 2011

How bad can the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages be if it’s too much for Renee Ellmers?   According to Under the Dome, the congresswoman’s spokesman “confirmed that she planned to vote against the constitutional ban that was adopted by the legislature in September because it is too broadly drawn.”   It would ban civil…

McCrory’s Tease

By Gary Pearce October 7, 2011

Julie Rose at WFAE public radio in Charlotte tagged Pat McCrory’s announcement-that-he-will-have-an-announcement-later: “Nothing excites donors or attracts free publicity like a good tease.”   She also pointed out that McCrory announced he’s delaying his “big announcement” because “campaigns have become too long and too costly.”   This from a man who has been running since…

The Left’s Tea Party?

By Gary Pearce October 6, 2011

A TAPster asks: Is the Occupy Wall Street protest “a moment or a movement?”   Is it a new political wave that, as the Tea Party shaped the 2010 election, will shape the 2012 election?   The Tea Party took off two years ago – ironically, sparked by a CNBC reporter’s rant on Wall Street…

Political Shots Fired

By Gary Pearce April 28, 2026

The political sniping began even as chaos still reigned at the White House Correspondents Dinner. My…

Obama 48-Trump 39

By Gary Pearce April 26, 2026

A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…

“Conservative Successes”?

By Gary Pearce April 23, 2026

Senator Phil Berger was out of touch with voters in his district – and suffered the…