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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Republican vs Republican

By Gary Pearce March 21, 2024

Even Republicans think Republicans have gone too far in North Carolina. After losing the Republican primary for governor to Mark Robinson, Bill Graham said, “Mark Robinson is an unelectable candidate in the general election in North Carolina, and he puts a conservative future at risk for everyone, from the courthouse to the White House.” Paul…

History Repeating Itself

By Carter Wrenn March 20, 2024

WRAL TV polled, reported: Trump, Biden, Unpopular with North Carolina voters. One or two days later I read an article by a Politico pundit calling polls like that “illogical yammering” – he said Trump clobbered opponents in the primary and Biden didn’t even get an opponent and that proved Trump and Biden were the candidates…

Four Years Ago

By Gary Pearce March 18, 2024

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley of North Carolina accidentally told the truth last week. On a Fox News show, Whatley (photo) said, “At the end of the day, this comes down to a very simple contrast between President Trump and President Biden. Were you better off four years ago than you are today? The…

YDs Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

By Gary Pearce March 15, 2024

Young Democrats are bringing new energy to the North Carolina party this year, but that’s only one reason I keep an eye on them. YD leaders today tend to become NC leaders tomorrow. I found this clip from The News & Observer, October 6, 1968, about that year’s state YD convention in Fayetteville. Reporter Dick…

A Doctored Photo, A History Lesson

By Carter Wrenn March 13, 2024

A Super Pac doctored a photograph, put it in an ad to elect Kelly Daughtry – I wondered who told them, Do that – it’s fine. The first time I met Leo Daughtry he was helping Gerald Ford beat Ronald Reagan in the 1976 Republican primary. Most party-first Republicans back then were from the mountains.…

Trump’s VP

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2024

You may have laughed or recoiled at Senator Katie Britt’s State of the Union response, but Trump is thinking: “This is my kind of girl. She’s a looker, just my type. And she knows a woman’s place: in the kitchen. She won’t be like that damn Pence. She’ll do what I tell her.” Plus, Britt…

Ignore that…

By Carter Wrenn March 11, 2024

Hitler rose to power; across the Atlantic Ocean in America banks shuttered, out of work fathers stood in bread lines, the Great Depression deepened. German stormtroopers marched into the Rhineland, Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia – standing in bread lines people shook their heads, Hitler doesn’t matter to us. Hitler rolled tanks into Poland, Belgium, Holland, France,…

BANGO!

By Gary Pearce March 8, 2024

President Biden’s feisty, fiery, funny State of the Union sent me back to one of the best political books ever: What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer, about the 1988 presidential candidates, including Biden. Cramer wrote this about “Joey” Biden growing up in Scranton, PA: “You didn’t want to fight him. Most guys who got…

Poll Watch

By Gary Pearce March 7, 2024

High Point University hit a low point in polling. Last Friday, four days before Tuesday’s primary, the HPU poll reported this in the Democratic race for N.C. Attorney General: Satana Deberry       31% Tim Dunn                  33% Jeff Jackson              36% The poll was right on the money. About Deberry. She got 33% of the vote.…

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…