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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Modern Times

By Carter Wrenn February 9, 2009

Tough times call for stern measures and in Manhattan they’re up to the task. To cope with the economic crash a group of young women – girlfriends and spouses of Wall Street wunderkind – have formed a unique support group, Dating a Banker Anonymous. The young women meet to share fellowship and condolences over brunch…

The Way of All Flesh

By Carter Wrenn February 9, 2009

In just a fortnight Obama’s gone from “Yes, we can” to “I screwed up.” Tackling the labyrinth of imperial government – with its legions of lobbyists, special interests and hard-bitten politicians – in Washington has turned out to be a tough nut to crack. In two weeks the best and brightest among us – at…

Bumpy Takeoff for Air Obama

By Gary Pearce February 9, 2009

Face it, Obamaniacs. The Man has had a rough start. Kind of like Flight 1549, he ran into some turkeys on takeoff. Some of the turkeys were Republicans. Some were Democrats in Congress. And some were in his own administration. But buck up. At several key points in the campaign, Obama seemed about to stall…

What Republicans Lack: A Voice

By Carter Wrenn February 5, 2009

These days Mike, the Republican Political Warrior, has the blues. In three short years he’s witnessed a political meltdown, which he expressed this way the other day in an email: I always reckoned the end would come. I just didn’t expect it to come in my lifetime. Eight years ago, Mike had high hopes for…

Power Shifts

By Gary Pearce February 5, 2009

We’re witnessing the biggest shift in political power in America in a generation: from the state capitals to Washington. The much-heralded “New Federalism” of the 70s, 80s and 90s is dead. The era of ex-Governors in the White House (Carter, Reagan and Clinton) is past. Today, all power flows to the Potomac. Witness: After taking…

Obama’s TV Roadblock

By Gary Pearce February 4, 2009

President Obama has hit his roughest patch since he took the oath from the man Stephen Colbert calls the Justice Chief of the Court Supreme. So yesterday Obama rolled out his most powerful weapon: Barack Obama. He “roadblocked” every network. He did interviews with Big Feet like Anderson Cooper and Brian Williams. That’s when you…

Showing Up

By Gary Pearce February 3, 2009

Woody Allen once said 80 percent of life is just showing up. Bev Perdue is proving that showing up is 90 percent of following Mike Easley. One Raleigh Democrat said last week she had seen Governor Perdue four times since her inauguration: at a Washington event, at a Lillian’s List meeting, at Bob Scott’s funeral…

Well, Duh

By Gary Pearce February 2, 2009

Media commentators and Republican critics alike seem shocked – shocked, I tell you – that President Obama packed the stimulus bill with initiatives he promised during his campaign, like education, energy and health care. What did they expect? That he would abandon his promises after he took the oath? Rush Limbaugh actually suggested that –…

Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll

By Carter Wrenn January 30, 2009

Back in the turbulent 1960’s my high school held what was then called Club Night – an open house where all the school’s clubs (Spanish, French, Math, History, and so on) hosted receptions in classrooms to recruit members. When I got home that night my mother asked, Well, which did you go to? I told…

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…

Rise and Fall

By Gary Pearce April 21, 2026

A reassuring lesson from our trip to Germany and Czechia is that dictators, despots and tyrants…