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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Beware of Darkness

By Gary Pearce September 2, 2024

August was a month of joy and hope for Democrats. But darker days lie ahead. In September and October, politics – like the weather – will grow colder, darker and meaner. Republicans will do what they always do: appeal to hate and fear. They’ll run the dark TV ads and roll out the scary mailers…

The Brawl

By Carter Wrenn August 30, 2024

The last time delegates sitting in a convention picked a candidate for President was 48 years ago. Those days are gone – now conventions mirror Broadway productions. In Milwaukee, country singers sang, rappers danced; in Chicago, Pink sang, Oprah spoke. But back in 1976, Gerald Ford led Ronald Reagan by a handful of votes at…

Odd

By Carter Wrenn August 28, 2024

Doing an interview on Fox Trump told Brian Kilmeade it’s a little known fact that the press doesn’t want to talk about, but Biden ‘sent comrade Kamala to see Putin in Russia three days before the attack’ on Ukraine, added Putin ‘laughed at her – he thought she was a joke.’ After the interview Ainsley…

 Policy, Schmolicy

By Gary Pearce August 28, 2024

The media says Kamala Harris has to answer their questions about policy. No, she doesn’t. Harris has said more about policy in the last month than Trump has in nine years. She talked about policy in her economic speech in Raleigh and her acceptance speech at the Chicago convention. She spoke to every issue: cost…

Obama Cutting his Eyes…

By Carter Wrenn August 26, 2024

Watching Obama speak last Wednesday night I had a flashback – back in 1984 when Senator Jesse Helms trailed Governor Jim Hunt by 25 points we attacked Hunt and attacked Hunt and got nowhere. Hunt ran his first TV ad: Standing in a field talking to farmers, oozing empathy, at the end of the ad…

Flag, Family, Freedom and Football

By Gary Pearce August 26, 2024

Democrats have seized the symbols of American patriotism this election. Flags filled the hall the night Kamala Harris accepted the nomination (photo). She told the story of her family – and how she’ll fight for our families. She vowed to fight for freedom: “(W)hen Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, as president of…

Roy Raises the Roof

By Gary Pearce August 24, 2024

I’m old enough to remember when Democrats worried that Roy Cooper wasn’t a strong public speaker. Then there he was Thursday night: in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention, the final speaker before Kamala Harris. He gave a rousing five-minute speech that brought the crowd roaring to its feet. He told how Harris, as…

Kamala Harris, For the People

By Gary Pearce August 23, 2024

Kamala Harris accomplished three goals in her forceful acceptance speech. She told us who she is. She eviscerated Trump. She proposed a new way forward. All in just 38 minutes, one of the shortest acceptance speeches ever. Trump’s was 90 minutes – a tired, repetitious litany of gripes, grievances and whining. It’s striking what Harris…

“That’s My Dad”

By Gary Pearce August 22, 2024

Gus Walz gave us the most moving moment I’ve ever seen in politics. Tim Walz had just described “the hell that is infertility” that he and his wife Gwen experienced for years before fertility treatments led to the birth of their daughter, now 23. “We named her Hope,” Walz said. “Hope, Gus and Gwen, you…

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…