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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Remain Calm. Attack.

By Gary Pearce August 26, 2008

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…

Whose Credibility?

By Carter Wrenn August 21, 2008

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…

Be Like Terry?

By Gary Pearce August 21, 2008

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…

Keystone Kops

By Carter Wrenn August 20, 2008

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…

‘Dumpling’

By Carter Wrenn August 20, 2008

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…

Obama’s Veep

By Gary Pearce August 20, 2008

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…

McCain-Nixon in ’08?

By Gary Pearce August 19, 2008

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,…

Edwards Vs. the N&O

By Gary Pearce August 18, 2008

The tension between John Edwards and The News & Observer goes back to the 1998 Senate race. During that campaign, John and Elizabeth – along with some of their Washington consultants and gung-ho young staffers – believed the N&O was treating them unfairly. They decided somebody should storm down to the paper’s offices, confront the…

Flaky to Boot

By Carter Wrenn August 14, 2008

There are times you just have to look at some of today’s politicians and shake your head and wonder, What on earth was that fool thinking? Two short breaths ago, Beverly Perdue told WRAL-TV (6-18-08) she was adamantly “100% opposed” to offshore drilling. Then, taking another breath, she bluntly told the Charlotte Observer (7-19-08), “On…

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…