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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Why Hagan Is Ahead

By Gary Pearce 2008-08-27

It’s called television advertising. Say what you want about the onset of the online age. TV ads are still the most powerful weapon in politics. The Public Policy Polling survey that showed Hagan slightly ahead surprised a lot of insiders. It wouldn’t if they had been watching TV. The ads attacking Liddy Dole are brilliant.…

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To All the Young People on Shore

By Carter Wrenn 2008-08-27

To all the young people on shore thinking Barack Obama’s the political savior who’s going to lead them to the Promised Land and change America – watch out. This is politics. You don’t remember, but President Nixon promised change – and gave us Watergate. President Reagan – a great president – promised change and whipped…

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Remain Calm. Attack.

By Gary Pearce 2008-08-26

Some Democrats are in despair. The national polls are even! The Republicans are up to their usual dirty tricks! Obama has to do something! Relax. But not too much. Of course the polls are even. No surprise. The country is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. And Obama is a fresh new face, with all…

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Whose Credibility?

By Carter Wrenn 2008-08-21

Russian tanks rolled into Georgia and the earth moved on its axis so President Bush scowled real mean at Vladimir Putin during the Olympics then dispatched Condi Rice to give Putin his comeuppance. She didn’t scowl, she sniffed, and said, “The Russians are losing their credibility.” Credibility, I’d say, is just what the Russians are…

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Be Like Terry?

By Gary Pearce 2008-08-21

A spirited debate broke out at a book club this week about Bev Perdue’s vote to keep illegal immigrants out of the community colleges. A craven cave-in, fumed one (now-ex) Bev supporter. “I may as well vote for Pat McCrory.” Hold on, a still-strong supporter of Bev weighed in: “Don’t you agree that immigrants would…

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Keystone Kops

By Carter Wrenn 2008-08-20

Let’s forget about who first slept with whom when and whether they stopped two years ago or last month – and talk about John Edwards’ sheer incompetence. How on earth did he get struck so dumb he convinced himself he could keep a blonde in the closet for two years – with every other political…

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‘Dumpling’

By Carter Wrenn 2008-08-20

Last night, right in the middle of a debate that would put an amphetamine junkie to sleep, there was a flash of near-clairvoyant revelation. Beverly ‘Dumpling’ Perdue (don’t blame me for the nickname; it’s what Mark and Tony and the boys over in the Senate have been calling her for years) and the gnomes over…

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Obama’s Veep

By Gary Pearce 2008-08-20

I’d pick Hillary. I know all the reasons why Obama shouldn’t and probably won’t. Here is why he should: It’s the only choice that genuinely shakes up the race. And Obama needs to shake it up. It will electrify the convention. It will stump McCain and the Republicans. It will show that Obama is strong…

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McCain-Nixon in ’08?

By Gary Pearce 2008-08-19

John McCain’s real running mate this year will be Richard Nixon – or, to be precise, the strategy that Nixon pioneered for Republicans in 1972: Make your opponent unacceptable to the Silent Majority. That’s the attack McCain’s Karl Rove-trained team has leveled against Barack Obama for weeks now. It is taking hold. Thirty-six years ago,…

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Democrats’ Country Inroads

By Gary Pearce 2024-04-25

New data shows that North Carolina Democrats are right to look for votes on country roads…

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A Lost Soul

By Carter Wrenn 2024-04-23

We don’t know much about him – he grew up in a village on the coast…

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Rachel Hunt and MAGA Meltdown

By Gary Pearce 2024-04-23

Two things this past weekend made me feel good about this election. First, I crashed a…

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