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.

CarterWrenn200x271

Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

Archives

Categories

Masters of the Universe

By Carter Wrenn October 21, 2010

There ought to be a play in the theatre of the absurd about Wall Street: After making trillions in bad loans, and then getting bailed out by taxpayers, the banks and finance companies are staring into the abyss again: This time because foreclosures have ground to a standstill.   And the reason (Wall Street is…

Read More

What’s wrong with this Picture?

By Carter Wrenn October 21, 2010

The economy’s in the tank, the deficits soared past a trillion dollars, and the economy’s so shaky all that’s saving the government from bankruptcy is the Chinese loaning us money.   Listening to the news it sounds like half the country’s being foreclosed on and half is out of work – but, while the rest…

Read More

Unstable Times

By Gary Pearce October 21, 2010

Historians and politicos yearn for stable, predictable political eras.   Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote about the “cycles” of American politics – the Progressive Era, the Republican Roaring 20s, the Age of Roosevelt, etc.   After 2008, James Carville predicted 40 years of Democratic dominance.   After 2000, Karl Rove predicted a permanent realignment.   So…

Read More

That’s Politics…

By Carter Wrenn October 20, 2010

By now most everyone has figured out the two things Democratic politicians love to talk about more than anything else on earth are Education and Health Care.  Beverly Perdue talked about both so much two years ago she got herself elected our first woman Governor.   But there was a peculiar fact – about health…

Read More

Memo to Paul Coble

By Gary Pearce October 20, 2010

I don’t care for Paul Coble’s politics, but I like him personally. So I’m giving him some advice about his TV ads: lose the rich furnishings.   I regret I don’t have a link to the ads. Couldn’t find it anywhere.   The ads are short – maybe 10 or 15 seconds. Paul is talking…

Read More

Poll Tells the Tale

By Gary Pearce October 20, 2010

I love polls. When I did campaigns, I spent hours digging through them. Numbers don’t lie, and they tell you what’s obscured in the political blather. The latest NBC-Wall Street Journal poll lays out clearly what’s happening in this election.  The headline is that voters prefer a Republican Congress over a Democratic one by 50-43…

Read More

Darth Vader Comes to Raleigh

By Carter Wrenn October 19, 2010

There’s a scene in the movie Erin Brockovich where Julia Roberts runs head on into the epitome of an oily corporate lawyer who represents Pacific Gas and Electric.     In real life the lawyer who represented PG&E was Rene Tatro, who’s known as ‘The Darth Vader of the environmental movement.’  Attorney Tatro is now…

Read More

How the Government Really Works: A Train Wreck V

By Carter Wrenn October 19, 2010

So here’s what has happened:  Secretary Lanier Cansler promised legislators he could cut the Medicaid Home Care $50 million (because, he said, the 45% of the patients were cheats) – if they’d let him give out a no bid contract to one of his former clients.   But it turned out only 3% of the…

Read More

The Obama Enigma

By Gary Pearce October 19, 2010

D.G. Martin was interviewing Carter and me for “Who’s Talking” on WCHL radio when we began discussing the topic that soon will dominate political debate: WOWW – Where Obama Went Wrong.   Was it the policy or the politics (see “Blaming the Messenger” below)? Was it the economy? Was in getting in bed with Congress?…

Read More

Wake Up, America

By Carter Wrenn March 17, 2025

A dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, locked down during COVID, he called, surprised me asking: ‘Ford beat Reagan in…

Read More

Hope

By Gary Pearce March 17, 2025

I have hope – despite what Trump is doing. I have hope because of what he’s…

Read More

Education Governor

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2025

With a better General Assembly, Josh Stein could join Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford on North…

Read More