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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Burr’s Edge

By Gary Pearce April 21, 2010

Richard Burr has a much easier primary campaign than Kenneth Lewis or Elaine Marshall. But he has an ad on TV, and they don’t.   That dramatizes the huge financial advantage Burr has this year.   His ad is notable for two things: black faces and veterans. He’s softening any Tea Party-image with general-election voters.…

Barking Yellow Dogs

By Gary Pearce April 20, 2010

When a Washington Post reporter asked me about Democratic congressmen from North Carolina voting against health-care reform, I told him: “You buy a dog, don’t be afraid when it barks.”   When Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel and the DCCC recruited Health Shuler and Larry Kissell to run in 2008, they knew what they were getting.…

The Trust Deficit

By Gary Pearce April 20, 2010

It’s bad news for Democrats when only 22 percent of Americans say they trust government.   That number comes from a Pew Research Center poll, which found “a perfect storm of conditions associated with distrust of government — a dismal economy, an unhappy public, bitter partisan-based backlash, and epic discontent with Congress and elected officials.”  …

State of the Arts

By Gary Pearce April 19, 2010

When it comes to art and music, I’m as uncultured as you can get. But even I can appreciate the new North Carolina Art Museum.   It’s a stunning achievement for a state. And it’s mostly due to the persistence and political savvy of Larry Wheeler.   I suppose the Tea Party types would say…

Tea Time Part II

By Gary Pearce April 16, 2010

The revealing New York Times/CBS poll on the Tea Party demographics turned up two golden nuggets.    One explains their anger. The other exposes their hypocrisy.   The anger: 63 percent of Tea Partiers say Fox is their main news source. Even among Republicans, only 46 percent depend mainly on Fox.   A steady diet…

A Case for Roy Cooper

By Gary Pearce April 16, 2010

A wise old legal eagle points out a recent article in the National Law Journal that shreds the 18 showboating state attorneys generals who want to challenge the health-care reform law.   The article, written by a law professor at Washington & Lee, concludes:   “This complaint not only represents shockingly shoddy lawyering but should…

Tea Time

By Gary Pearce April 15, 2010

The Tea Party movement may return the Republican Party to power – or ruin it. Whichever, the Tea Party controls the GOP’s future.   If Mushmouth Mitch McConnell and Suntan John Boehner become majority leaders in the next Congress, they’ll have no choice but to walk the Tea Party line.   That would pretty much…

Cal’s Air War

By Gary Pearce April 13, 2010

Cal Cunningham officially becomes the front-runner in the Democratic Senate primary by getting on TV first.   But does a “war” message work in a Democratic primary?   Opponents argue that his service record won’t impress anti-war Democrats – that it will make him look too conservative.   I think it’s a strong ad. And…

A Pretty Strange Chapter in Republican Politics …

By Carter Wrenn April 10, 2010

The way Art Pope sees it his blasting Richard Morgan (because Richard blasted Governor Perdue) wasn’t defending Governor Perdue…   … but how did Perdue see it? “Well, miracles do happen!” the Governor chortled, delighted to have Pope’s support. What’s ironic about all this is for years Art’s been hammering Richard, saying he’s too cozy…

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…