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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Bev’s Bad Break

By Gary Pearce March 29, 2010

A wise old Democrat told me recently that Bev Perdue’s biggest problem is: “She’s broken too many promises.”   The recession and the budget crater are mostly to blame. She’s had to disappoint her friends in education, health care, aging services and mental health.   But her promise to run an ethical administration doesn’t cost…

Sanctimony or Self-Interest?

By Carter Wrenn March 26, 2010

Having just admitted (below) one mistake I will risk committing another – except this time I am going to say the following is 100% conjecture. It’s all theory. No facts.   The other day I was having lunch with a group of friends and the flap on the Wake County School Board came up and…

Mea Culpa

By Carter Wrenn March 26, 2010

This will come as no surprise to my wife, children or friends but I have made a mistake – the other day I wrote a blog and said State Representative David Lewis voted for Richard Morgan and Jim Black on the final vote for Speaker in 2003. That was dead on 100% wrong. Representative Lewis…

Wingnuts

By Gary Pearce March 26, 2010

Extremism in the defense of liberty may or may not be a vice, but it’s a good way to lose elections. And it may be how Republicans blow their chance at a game-changer in November.   Judging from their hysterical reaction, the stories about threats and violence have touched a raw nerve among Republicans.  …

Protesting Politics

By Gary Pearce March 25, 2010

In Washington, Republicans vow to fight on against health-care reform.   In WakeCounty, school-diversity supporters vow to fight on against the new board’s reassignment plans.   In Washington, reform opponents marched on the Capitol, and some spit on congressmen and called them not-nice names.   In WakeCounty, diversity supporters protested, demonstrated and even got arrested.…

The Traits of Anony-mices

By Carter Wrenn March 24, 2010

A while back two meandering tribes of ‘anony-mices’ – as Ms. Joan Troy once called them – set up camp over on the Talking About Politics Forum and, for the past year, these diminutive creatures have made war on one another and just about anyone else they lay eyes on – which brings us to…

Revisiting 1994

By Gary Pearce March 24, 2010

Fred Heineman’s death takes us back to the Republican tidal year of 1994, when a titanic health-care battle led to a Democratic debacle so huge Heineman temporarily unseated David Price.   The big difference this year: Obama succeeded where the Clintons failed.   It takes three ingredients to make an electoral revolution: (1) One side…

Winning is Good

By Gary Pearce March 23, 2010

There hasn’t been a scene like it since LBJ in 1965: Democratic congressional leaders beaming and clapping as a Democratic President signs a big expansion of the social safety net.   The question is whether today’s White House ceremony celebrating health-care reform was the last gasp of the Great Society – or a reprise of…

Political Courage

By Gary Pearce March 22, 2010

People always say they want politicians to do what’s right, even if it’s unpopular. Of course, they mean: unpopular with somebody else.   Still, by that standard, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi showed a rare level of political guts and perseverance in pushing through health-care reform.   Remember two months ago? Scott Brown had just…

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…