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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One Year

By Gary Pearce December 30, 2009

A year is a long time in politics. One year ago: Barack Obama was a colossus, a superstar who had transformed politics Bev Perdue was about to enjoy a (short) honeymoon The clouds over Mike Easley were just gathering Tony Rand was ready for another turn as second-in-command of the Senate Wake County Democrats were…

Controlling the Narrative

By Gary Pearce December 30, 2009

The cable-TV blabbermouths are all over the Obama administration over the Christmas Day terrorist scare.   The know-it-alls proclaim that this is a PR disaster for the White House. The message machine was asleep. Obama was slow on the uptake. Janet Napolitano blew it.   Napolitano did blow it. But I’m not so sure Obama…

Flim-Flam

By Carter Wrenn December 29, 2009

You can’t really fault the State Democratic Party Chairman for tying himself in knots to praise Governor Perdue – but, then, maybe you can. Or, maybe, we should fault whoever on Bev Perdue’s staff wrote David Young’s latest email to voters.   Chairman Young (or his ghostwriter) begins his lament by telling voters about all…

How to Get Out of a Mess

By Carter Wrenn December 28, 2009

The state’s received a whopping $7.5 billion in ‘Stimulus Funds’ and a good part of it was to pay for Medicaid but, despite President Obama’s help, Secretary Lanier Cansler’s got a train wreck on his hands after he gave out $250 million in no bid contracts, a lot of them to his cronies and former…

Tony Rand and Integrity

By Carter Wrenn December 28, 2009

Governor Perdue’s Parole Commissioner Tony Rand’s got plenty of troubles: He’s being investigated by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission (and, maybe worst of all for a politician, an investigative reporter from the News and Observer) for what looks like a scheme he cooked up to have the state buy police equipment from…

Polls – Burr

By Carter Wrenn December 28, 2009

There’s been a lot of back and forth about new polls in the Senate Race. For instance, The Civitas Institute poll has Senator Richard Burr up:   ·         Richard Burr               40% ·         Elaine Marshall           32% ·         Undecided                  28%   Some folks are saying this is good news for Burr but it looks to me like the news…

Back on the Front Page

By Carter Wrenn December 24, 2009

I keep thinking sooner or later it will turn out there’s nothing to one of these scandals involving Mike Easley – but he’s back in hot water.   According to the News and Observer here’s the prelude to Easley getting a $137,000 discount on a beach front lot: Easley’s aide Ruffin Poole 1) calls a…

Back on the Front Page

By Carter Wrenn December 24, 2009

I keep thinking sooner or later it will turn out there’s nothing to one of these scandals involving Mike Easley – but he’s back in hot water.   According to the News and Observer here’s the prelude to Easley getting a $137,000 discount on a beach front lot: Easley’s aide Ruffin Poole 1) calls a…

The Copenhagen Hustle

By Carter Wrenn December 24, 2009

You know, I thought all this foo-fah over in Copenhagen was about the ice caps melting – but I was dead wrong.   Now there’s not much doubt with every bone in his Ivy League educated body President Obama sincerely believes if we don’t do something – now – by 2050 Manhattan Island is going…

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…