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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Who’s Corrupt

By Gary Pearce October 5, 2009

An alert reader spotted this “Income Opportunities Available” banner on the WakeUp America TV ads about “corrupt Democrats.”     The reader followed the link to: http://www.wakeupamerica.com/income-opportunities.   There he read:   If you are interested in becoming a Team Leader, and building a team of commission fundraisers to help air Wake Up America TV…

Election Outlier?

By Gary Pearce October 4, 2009

In 1993, Tom Fetzer’s election as mayor of Raleigh proved to be a portent of a national Republican tide the next year. Tomorrow’s Wake school board races could be the same for 2010. I haven’t seen any polling. But I have a bad feeling that the bad guys – the anti-diversity crowd – will win.…

Radical Socialists?

By Gary Pearce October 2, 2009

I got worried when I saw the “corrupt Democrats” ad sponsored by the North Carolina conservative group Wake Up America.  But I felt better once the ad ended.   The ad’s beginning goes right at a real Democratic vulnerability in North Carolina: the combination of corruption and higher taxes.   “Are state Democrats the most…

The Raleigh City Election

By Carter Wrenn October 1, 2009

First time candidate for City Council Champ Claris has spoken the tabooed words ‘Don’t build it downtown.’     Since Charles Meeker was elected Mayor (which seems like it was not long after General Sherman marched through Raleigh) Meeker’s been trying to turn downtown into the southern equivalent of the ‘Great White Way.’ It’s a mystery…

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…

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 &…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Faith in Politics

By Gary Pearce March 10, 2026

Jim Hunt would like James Talarico winning the Democratic primary in Texas. Like Talarico, the late…