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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The 70-Year War Against Public Schools

By Gary Pearce May 23, 2024

After 70 years, North Carolina’s school segregationists are nearing their cherished goal: destroying the public schools and replacing them with racially segregated private schools. And you, the taxpayer, are paying for it. On May 17, 1954, 70 years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that segregated schools were unconstitutional. Across the South, and…

Anger Rules

By Carter Wrenn May 22, 2024

Pompous, mean tongued, to abolish slavery – in 1856 – Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner tore into two senators who owned slaves, calling one ‘a noise-some, squat, nameless animal,’ saying the other had a mistress, ‘the harlot, slavery.’ Sitting at his desk in the empty Senate chamber two days later, head bent, leaning down writing, Sumner…

The Past Returns

By Carter Wrenn May 20, 2024

A Hollywood star growled Trump’s like ‘Hitler’ on TV. Trump roared Biden’s a ‘total moron’ at a rally. There’s not much kindness left in this election. ‘The past isn’t dead it’s not even past’ is an old truth. Reading dry tomes, diaries, following threads, Erik Larson just wrote a book about the firing on Fort…

No “Deceit and Betrayal”

By Gary Pearce May 20, 2024

Today’s blog, which responds to Carter’s post “Deceit and Betrayal,” was written by a thoughtful reader who prefers not to be named. I agree with their opinion, and I can’t say it any better. Carter, you have written a column accusing President Biden of “deceit and betrayal,” reporting that he had “refused to send Israel…

A Fallen World

By Carter Wrenn May 17, 2024

Trump slammed Kennedy. Biden slammed Kennedy. Kennedy told how a worm ate a piece of his brain, added he’d recovered. So we’ve got a porn-star testifying against Trump… Biden telling Israel ‘no more bombs,’ stop bombing Gaza – after Hamas slaughtered Israelis… Kennedy with a dead worm in his brain… And one is going to…

Trump’s $1 Billion Bribe

By Gary Pearce May 16, 2024

This one stands out – even in the never-ending flood of Donald Trump’s sins, crimes and scandals. But the national media hasn’t given it the same time and space as, say, President Biden’s age or swing-state polls. At Mar-a-Lago last month, The Washington Post reported, Trump told Big Oil executives that if they raised $1…

Deceit and Betrayal

By Carter Wrenn May 16, 2024

Hamas invaded Israel, slaughtered 1200 Israelis. War started. Israel struck back. Biden said his commitment to Israel was ‘ironclad.’ Israel bombed Gaza. People wailed about civilians dying. Biden told Israel, Stop. Refused to send Israel anymore bombs. He promised one thing. Then turned around and did the opposite. Deceit… followed by betrayal. We’re watching ancient…

Poll Numbers

By Carter Wrenn May 15, 2024

A political candidate lives in his or her own small world. Fitting a jigsaw puzzle together, figuring out how to win an election, everything a candidate knows goes back to what he sees, hears, likes, fears, what he’s lived through – and there’s only one way he can escape that small world. Poll numbers aren’t…

Character Hardly Matters

By Carter Wrenn May 14, 2024

We’ve never seen an election like this one. There was a time, long ago, when a candidate had to pass a ‘smell test’ – a character test – to get elected. If he flunked the test even people who agreed with him, shaking their heads, wouldn’t vote for him. We’re in an era now where…

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…