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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Knuckleheads

By Gary Pearce September 8, 2009

  I had no idea what a powerful and persuasive speaker President Obama is.   According to Tom Fetzer & Co., if Obama gets the chance to address America’s schoolchildren, he will turn them into socialists.   Wow.   Especially with a subversive message like: study hard, stay in school and set goals for success.…

Senator Wicker?

By Gary Pearce September 4, 2009

One Big Name mentioned as a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate should be taken seriously: Dennis Wicker.   Wicker reminds me of Jim Hunt circa 1992. Wicker has grown since an election defeat eight years earlier. The lessons from that loss – plus his experience in the private sector – could make him a stronger candidate…

Storm Clouds Over Democrats

By Carter Wrenn September 3, 2009

President Obama swept into the White House not riding a pro-Obama wave but riding an anti-Bush tide. Now, Bush is gone and after nine months of marching straight left Obama’s setting off tides of his own and his popularity is vanishing faster than any newly elected President since the dawn of the Age of Polling.…

Crafty Obama

By Gary Pearce September 3, 2009

One of the many brilliant (that means “Democratic”) readers of this blog has offered what could be a spot-on analysis of Obama’s new strategy on health care. I share it with you in full:   “He has leaned back and relaxed and let Mitch McConnell and the screaming chorus shout and work themselves into a…

Framing the Debate

By Gary Pearce September 1, 2009

Supporters of health-care reform better hope President Obama’s vacation gave him time to come up with some brilliant strategy. Because he’s losing control of the debate.   The vaunted Obama message machine from the campaign is grinding its gears. They have not come up with a winning way to frame the debate.   I thought…

Bev Goes Forward

By Gary Pearce August 31, 2009

I spoke to the North Carolina Democratic Party’s annual Sanford-Hunt-Frye Dinner Saturday night.   I talked about the “Go Forward” tradition in North Carolina politics, starting with Kerr Scott and running through Sanford and Hunt.   We sat at Governor Perdue’s table, which gave me some pause given some of my blogs about her. But…

What Would Ted Do?

By Gary Pearce August 26, 2009

  The commentariet says Ted Kennedy’s tactical skills will be missed in the health-care reform debate.   What’s more likely to be missed is his roar.   Democrats– including President Obama – lack a loud, clear voice to frame the debate.   Like Kennedy did on Robert Bork. Like I heard him do at the…

Teddy

By Gary Pearce August 25, 2009

Ted Kennedy was both an inspiration and political poison to North Carolina Democrats.   We loved him because he was the last link to the glory days of John and Bobby Kennedy, the New Frontier, the Mercury 7 astronauts, the Peace Corps, “pay any price, bear any burden…” and all that.   And his voice…

Yes Bev Can

By Gary Pearce August 25, 2009

Give Governor Perdue credit: She’s not a quitter.   She has been a blur of activity since the legislature left. Launching a government-efficiency study. Riding a bus the first day of school. Asking for money-saving ideas. Sending out YouTube videos.   Clearly, she has the energy to fight her way back. All she needs now…

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…