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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My Memoir

By Carter Wrenn May 19, 2023

Back during coronavirus shutdowns my office telephone rang – a friend asked: ‘You’re not locked down?’  ‘I’m here alone.’  ‘I just read Jesse Helms’ pollster was Arthur Finkelstein.’ I told him about Arthur’s first poll for Jesse, about the first time I heard Jesse make a speech. He asked, ‘Why did Reagan lose to Gerald…

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Abandoning Faith

By Carter Wrenn May 18, 2023

A Gothic church built in the 19th century turned into a skateboard park in the 21st century. Every year thousands of churches shut down, end up being apartments, parks, demolished. At the end of the 20th century 62% of Americans said religion was very important to them – twenty three years later, in the 21st…

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A New Era

By Carter Wrenn May 17, 2023

Waking up in the morning, opening the newspaper, a headline leaped out: America has 1,550 nuclear weapons. So does Russia. China has less but it’s catching up – and China just got 25 tons of enriched uranium from Russia. Which the Pentagon says means China and Russia could end up with combined nuclear arsenals that…

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The World They Lived In

By Carter Wrenn May 16, 2023

She was nineteen. He was twenty-nine. Dark-haired she was pretty not beautiful. He was short, frumpy, had a farmer’s calloused hands. They both had simple names: Abigail Smith, John Adams. Married in 1764 they started down the road to happiness and by Christmas she was pregnant – before their child was born the first blow…

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Abortion

By Carter Wrenn May 15, 2023

When the Supreme Court made abortion legal – five decades ago – liberals thought, It’s a woman’s body – she has a right to decide whether to have an abortion. Conservatives, grimacing, saw abortion as taking an innocent life. To them, it was a choice between right and wrong. And protecting an innocent life was…

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E. Jean Carroll

By Carter Wrenn May 15, 2023

E. Jean Carroll sued Trump. Trump said she wasn’t his type, claimed he didn’t know her…the jury met, every juror believed Carroll not Trump. Trump lost, tweeted, It’s a witch hunt. Republicans cheered. Just like they cheered when Trump said, The election was stolen. It used to be honesty mattered more than politics. Republican voters…

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Trump’s Iron Grip

By Carter Wrenn May 11, 2023

Liz Cheney stood up to Trump. Trump beat her in her primary. So she’s out of office – in exile. But can she throw Trump one last curveball? A block of the Republican voters shake their heads when they hear Trump rant, don’t want him back in the White House. But they won’t vote for…

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A Mess

By Carter Wrenn May 11, 2023

In a hearing House Republicans pummeled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – Democrat Eric Swalwell ripped into Marjorie Taylor Greene – Greene shot back Swalwell ‘had sex with a Chinese spy,’ told Mayorkas, ‘You’re a liar.’ Democrat Bennie Thompson said Greene crossed the line, moved to strike her words from the record. Earlier in the…

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“Republicans have made the greatest political mistake in our lifetimes”

By Gary Pearce May 11, 2023

That’s how political analyst Simon Rosenberg sees SB 20, the draconian abortion bill that was rammed though the state legislature by Republicans. Rosenberg spoke Tuesday night on a Zoom call with about 200 N.C. Democrats, organized by Carolina Forward. He cited a poll released this week by Carolina Forward and Change Research showing that voters…

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Recessional

By Carter Wrenn November 11, 2024

The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kings depart: Still stands Thine ancient…

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Mistakes and Miss-Takes

By Gary Pearce November 10, 2024

Bert Bennett of Winston-Salem, the legendary political godfather to Terry Sanford and Jim Hunt, had a…

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Don’t Give Up

By Gary Pearce November 6, 2024

This is bad. Bad for America and for the world. Bad for women, for immigrants, for…

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