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

Obama’s Olympic Event

By Gary Pearce October 1, 2009

Republicans and the media are up in arms because President Obama will go overseas to lobby for the Olympics in Chicago in 2016.    A waste of time, they sniff, when the nation faces so many important issues.   Once again, Obama is a step ahead of his critics.   His trip would be one…

Read More

Tax-Hike Survival

By Gary Pearce September 30, 2009

  Earlier this week I wrote that Governor Perdue should consider championing tax reform.   To her advisers, that lifeline probably looks more like an anchor.   But history suggests otherwise. Mike Easley raised taxes – and survived. At least, survived raising taxes.   Jim Hunt raised the gas tax in 1981. Jesse Helms &…

Read More

Hail Mary for Bev

By Gary Pearce September 29, 2009

A few weeks ago, I thought Governor Perdue’s best strategy was a Dick Morris/Clinton-like series of small, popular initiatives.   She’s been doing that lately, though I’m sure it wasn’t at my suggestion. She has rolled out a series of announcements on new industries, rural health care, nanotechnology and offshore energy.   But offshore energy…

Read More

MediScare

By Gary Pearce September 28, 2009

Life and politics are full of irony. Like health-care reform.   One of the great obstacles to a “public option” is the fear of “government-run health care.”   One voter group most worried about reform are seniors. Specifically, they worry that reform will jeopardize Medicare.   That is, they fear that government-run health care will…

Read More

Obama’s Polls

By Gary Pearce September 25, 2009

The media frenzy over the last month or so has been that Americans don’t support – or understand – President Obama’s health-care reforms.   Bad news for Barack, the media and the pundits proclaim.   In Washington this week, a local executive told me, she heard one of the media Big Feet pontificating about how…

Read More

Standards of The Times

By Gary Pearce September 24, 2009

I’m a big fan of The New York Times. It’s still the best newspaper going. But sometimes I wonder what happened to “All The News That’s Fit to Print.”   Like last Sunday, when the Times ran a front-page story on the John Edwards saga.   Must be something big, right? There was the page-one…

Read More

Once Upon a Time in New York

By Carter Wrenn September 23, 2009

Here’s a strange tale straight out of the North Country of New York State.   The liberals in the Democratic Party absorb modern values like the air they breathe. Their belief in the Modern State is absolute. Their faith in diversity and pluralism is written in stone. Their doubt is nonexistent.   To a Republican…

Read More

Where do you Stand Beverly?

By Carter Wrenn September 22, 2009

If anyone’s wondering why Governor Perdue’s popularity is languishing at political rock bottom the answer may be zigging and zagging.   Governor Perdue was for budget cuts, then she was against budget cuts.  She told the legislature to raise taxes, any taxes, it didn’t matter to her which; then she blasted legislators for raising the…

Read More

Giddy GOP

By Gary Pearce September 22, 2009

A Democratic friend who was in Washington recently reports that Republicans there are “giddy.” They’re convinced they have Obama and the Democrats on the run, certain they’re finally headed for a big election.   But they may have miscalculated. The election is next year, not this year.   And they may be overreaching. Especially if…

Read More

Jeanette Hyde

By Gary Pearce February 14, 2025

Jeanette Hyde went from Miss Yadkin County to Madam Ambassador. Hyde, who died Monday at age…

Read More

The Best Way to Steal an Election

By Carter Wrenn February 13, 2025

We’ve heard a lot about stolen votes – but here’s the best way to steal an…

Read More

Tillis’ Choice

By Gary Pearce February 12, 2025

Senator Thom Tillis is a good politician. He may be good enough to preserve his image…

Read More