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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Romney Moving Up on Giuliani

By Carter Wrenn September 27, 2007

Rudy Giuliani’s been leading his Republican opponents in national polls all year. But, now, there’s a wind change in the making. Mitt Romney – after contributing generously to his own campaign – is running TV and radio ads in New Hampshire and Iowa. And his message is resonating. He now leads Giuliani in both states.…

National Primary?

By Gary Pearce September 27, 2007

George Bush has failed as Commander-in-Chief, so now he’s trying for Commentator-in-Chief. He predicted in an interview that Hillary Clinton would win the Democratic nomination and then would lose to the Republican, whom he did not predict. Let’s set aside whether this was just a ploy to energize discouraged Republicans (Bush certainly can’t energize them…

Below the Belt

By Gary Pearce September 26, 2007

Raleigh City Council candidate Mary-Ann Baldwin is the victim of a high-tech version of old-time gutter politics. Supporters of an opponent, Russ Stephenson, set up a fake blog purporting to be by Baldwin. To give you a taste of the tone, one of the fake postings was signed “Mary Fucking Baldwin.” Nice. There’s nothing new…

Owned by Developers?

By Carter Wrenn September 25, 2007

There’s a little flap going on in Raleigh’s city elections about who’s coziest with developers. It started when someone, apparently tied to a blog supporting Councilman Russell Stephenson, put up a phony website attacking challenger Mary Ann Baldwin. But, in fact, Meeker, Stephenson, Crowder and Company – the three amigos on the City Council –are…

Keeping Him Bought

By Carter Wrenn September 25, 2007

Most of us realize candidates for President (except the candidate we happen to be supporting at the moment), well, to put it politely, dissemble. In fact, my friend, John, is leaning toward choosing his candidate this time based on how well he dissembles. His current choice is Mitt Romney. John’s theory works like this: If…

New Story Line to Come

By Gary Pearce September 25, 2007

Hunter S. Thompson once compared national political reporters to birds on a wire. One lands on a wire, the rest follow. One flies to another wire, they all follow. So look for the birds to land on a new Hillary Clinton wire soon. The conventional wisdom, as confirmed on Page One of Sunday’s The New…

Keep Your Head in the Heat of Battle

By Gary Pearce September 24, 2007

In campaigns, the worst wounds are often self-inflicted. Witness two A+ political operatives I know who made D- mistakes last week. Julie White, who works for gubernatorial candidate Richard Moore, got caught using a state computer to request public-records info on Lt. Beverly Perdue. Plus, as the News & Observer’s Under the Dome has chronicled,…

Shop at Crabtree Valley

By Carter Wrenn September 24, 2007

To add insult to injury (as far as North Hill’s developer John Kane’s $78 million parking deck goes) the city is now building not one but two decks downtown. The first mammoth ($35-40 million) underground deck is already underway. But just to be sure he doesn’t run out of parking the Mayor’s building another 500…

Arson?

By Carter Wrenn September 21, 2007

What I want to know is which fool – walking around Dare County – torched Marc Basnight’s restaurant? That would be akin to burning down Don Corleone’s olive oil business. At first when I read the News and Observer headline – “SBI Blames Arson for Fire at Basnight’s Café” – I thought (for one second)…

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,…