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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Huckabee’s Hymnal

By Carter Wrenn December 10, 2007

I didn’t realize it until it was too late but on Sunday morning some devil, or to put it in more modern (but less meaningful) terms, some spirit of masochism infected me. In retrospect it was just there. There was no old movie on television – so I turned on the morning talk shows. The…

Start and Stop on School Reform

By Gary Pearce December 10, 2007

Just before he left office, former Governor Jim Hunt wrote (with a little bit of help from me, I’m proud to say) a book about education. He said in it that North Carolina’s education-reform efforts had been hampered for decades by a start-and-stop approach. The state would start a good initiative, then lose interest and…

Presidential Firing Line

By Gary Pearce December 10, 2007

Mike Huckabee is learning the inexorable rule of presidential campaigns – one that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani learned the hard way: Whoever stands out gets shot at. Huckabee, the self-proclaimed Christian Leader, finds himself in the crosshairs now that he’s jumped up in polls in Iowa, South Carolina and nationally.…

How to Get Ahead in Politics?

By Carter Wrenn December 10, 2007

After a good look at their records many Republicans would conclude Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Governor Mitt Romney are a pair of typical northeastern Republicans. And that’s pretty much how Giuliani has run for President, not varnishing (at least not much) his past stands on issues like gay rights. As a result he peaked the…

No-Class Paul Stam

By Gary Pearce December 7, 2007

Here was the churlish response of state Rep. Paul Stam, a Wake County Republican, to news that N.C. State University wants to name its new library for former Governor Jim Hunt: “Normally to get your name on a government building, you have to be dead. But I’m not on a crusade about this.” Good thing…

The Morning News

By Carter Wrenn December 7, 2007

ROMNEY: Mitt Romney made his speech about Mormonism without saying one word about what he believes (other than that Jesus is the son of God which he won’t get an argument about from anyone, even Ron Paul, in a Republican Party); about the most controversial thing Romney said was the Founding Fathers supported religious liberty…

Perdue’s Budget Bust

By Gary Pearce December 6, 2007

Beverly Perdue has trotted out one of the oldest and tiredest campaign proposals there is: a bipartisan commission to find savings in the state budget. What’s worse, the idea could hurt her in the Democratic primary. This retread comes back up every few years – usually from a conservative or a Republican. It’s total bull.…

Dead Wrong, Again

By Carter Wrenn December 5, 2007

Poor President Bush. Everyday he’s reminding me more and more of Jimmy Carter, a nice guy stumbling (after the man and the hour met) to the end of his term like a wobbly legged boxer – so that you just can’t help wanting it all to end. Take yesterdays walloping: For two years the President’s…

Mitt Romney and Original Sin

By Carter Wrenn December 5, 2007

Mitt Romney says he’s going to take the bull by the horns tomorrow and talk straight from the shoulder with us about his Mormon religion – tomorrow. Sounds fascinating. Except Romney’s burst of candor seems to have been sparked by Mike Huckabee’s sudden rise in the Iowa polls. So Romney’s real goal may not exactly…

Faith in Politics

By Gary Pearce March 10, 2026

Jim Hunt would like James Talarico winning the Democratic primary in Texas. Like Talarico, the late…

Stein’s Clout

By Gary Pearce March 6, 2026

Governor Josh Stein had a good day Tuesday, and there’s good news for him in our…

Too Long

By Gary Pearce March 5, 2026

 “For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph,…