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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State of the Union

By Carter Wrenn March 22, 2024

Hectoring Biden, angry, Republican Congressmen roared, Lies – wearing a bright red MAGA cap and a tee-shirt Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene waved both arms above her head. Combative, not Sleepy Joe that night, Biden punched back, punched again, said, ‘I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while’ – then…

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

By Carter Wrenn March 22, 2024

Trump’s facing a stack of indictments, just had to post a $90 million bond, says since he was President he has complete and total immunity. To get herself elected, New York’s Attorney General told voters she’d nail Trump – she did, nailed him with another half a billion-dollar fine. The Georgia DA who indicted Trump…

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,…

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…