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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Quote of the Year, So Far

By Gary Pearce January 15, 2010

Governor Perdue this week at the ribbon-cutting for a “green” McDonald’s in Cary:   “I love McDonald’s. I eat here all the time, as you can see from my butt.”

A Defense of Janet Cowell

By Gary Pearce January 14, 2010

A reader says my blog about Governor Perdue and Treasurer Janet Cowell “is a misread.”    Here is the reader’s take on Cowell – and her battle with Perdue and DOT over Charlotte loop funding:   “She’s a straight shooter, Gary, as close to pure and simple as you’ll find at that level of political…

Council of State Headaches

By Gary Pearce January 13, 2010

You’d think Governor Perdue had enough problems with Republicans. But two of the biggest obstacles in her first year have been Democrats – Council of State members.   This is nothing new. All Governors get to where they want to call a constitutional convention to abolish the Council of State.   The conflict is inherent…

Wal-Mart and Afghanistan

By Carter Wrenn January 12, 2010

My friend down in Columbia, Chris Neely, is a captain in the ‘Swamp Fox’ Field Artillery of the South Carolina National Guard.   And he just got called up.   My first thought – other than the obvious concern about danger – when he told me he’s going to be spending the next year in…

‘Saint Elizabeth’

By Gary Pearce January 12, 2010

As the N&O noted this morning, excerpts from the book Game Change have tarnished Elizabeth Edwards’ halo.   People have been reluctant to criticize Elizabeth. She lost a son. She is battling cancer. And she suffered the public humiliation of her husband’s infidelity.   But she long had a reputation for being startlingly harsh with people,…

The Edwards Syndrome

By Gary Pearce January 11, 2010

The new revelations about John Edwards’ 2008 campaign – from the book Game Change by John Heilemann & Mark Halperin – raise this question: Didn’t he learn anything in his Senate race?   When Edwards ran in 1998 – and I was one of his strategists – we struggled with how to handle the firestorm…

Perdue, Newspaper Reporters, and Adultery

By Carter Wrenn January 11, 2010

It’s hard to get your arms around but Bev Perdue has surpassed Hunt when it comes to taking stands on both sides of issues. Our Governor’s taken firm stands on both sides of spending cuts. Tax increases. Offshore drilling. Negative political ads. And now – oddly enough – adultery.   It seems our State Highway…

ABC, DMV, SHP…

By Gary Pearce January 9, 2010

Is everybody in state government crooked?   No, they’re not. But the average person might think so when – in one skinny issue of the paper – they see ABC boards investigated, the ex-DMV director accused of wiretapping and the State Highway Patrol questioned about missing records and sexual misconduct.   Does this ever end?…

Fight Back

By Gary Pearce January 8, 2010

Democrats need to stop wringing their hands and worrying about November. And start fighting back on health care.   Here’s the message:   This year – over the opposition of every single Republican in Congress – we did something that Americans have needed for 50 years. When the health-care bill passes, every American will be…

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…