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 Doctor O May Win

By Gary Pearce July 29, 2009

Barack Obama brought his health-care reform campaign to Raleigh just as polls suggest support is slipping for reform.   As always, Washington and the media are poised for a rerun of history. They see the story in terms of the death of Clinton Care in 1994.   But the story could turn out different this…

Does Anybody Care?

By Gary Pearce July 29, 2009

The capital press corps and several editorial writers have whacked Governor Perdue and the Democratic legislative leadership for not getting a budget done.   But does anybody outside downtown Raleigh care?   Obviously, other people in government care. Like local governments. And school officials who don’t know how many teachers to hire.   But I…

Senate Scramble

By Gary Pearce July 28, 2009

Elaine Marshall is telling people she’s in the 2010 U.S. Senate race. That should give Cal Cunningham and Kenneth Lewis pause. She has two big advantages: stature and gender.   Women have won three of the last five races for governor or Senator in North Carolina: Dole, Hagan and Perdue versus Easley and Burr.  …

Dear Mike and Mary

By Gary Pearce July 27, 2009

  Please stop. Drop the grievance. Stop the bleeding.   On just one day last week, NCSU’s chancellor said your grievance proceeding is taking up too much of the university’s time and attention, the Democratic Party coughed up $24,000 because of you and the NCSU band cancelled a trip to Ireland because of you.  …

Bev Blows It Up

By Gary Pearce July 24, 2009

What do you do when your poll ratings are as bad as any governor’s in the country, somewhere down in Bush-Cheney territory? When you’ve been outfought and outfoxed by June Atkinson, for Pete’s sake? And when fellow Democrats are calling you a lame duck in your first year?   Well, you could find something more…

A Tall Tale

By Carter Wrenn July 23, 2009

Alright. Follow this: The Governor rips into the House and Senate Democrats’ tax increase – saying she cannot abide their raising taxes on working people. Then (giving Mark and Tony and Joe another rap on the nose) she lets fly, again, saying they also cut education too much.   Of course that didn’t sit too…

One Clever Liberal

By Carter Wrenn July 23, 2009

Columnist Rick Horowitz may be the sharpest tongued liberal around. He probably doesn’t mean much harm but sometimes when he writes he sounds like he has the disposition of a water moccasin. The other day in a column he called Dick Cheney ‘greedy…vain…and scared’ then panned Cheney for ‘dishing the dirt.’ Now he’s aimed his…

An Education for Bev

By Gary Pearce July 23, 2009

Last week I blogged that Governor Perdue was doing a better job than her poll numbers suggest. But I’m starting to think she’s snake-bit.   Her signature action, her big bold idea of appointing a state education CEO, got thrown out by a judge. Now Bill Harrison has graciously retreated from the battlefield.   Predictably,…

Tax Gamble

By Gary Pearce July 22, 2009

The N&O’s banner headline today had to give Democrats heartburn: “The new plan: more taxes for all.”   Democrats in the legislature have no choice. For all the Republican fulminating about waste, piers and crabpots, the only alternative to higher taxes is deep cuts in education and human services. Democrats just can’t do that.  …

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…