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.

CarterWrenn200x271

Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

Archives

Categories

Kate Barr For the Win

By Gary Pearce December 19, 2023

Kate Barr’s campaign slogan is “Kate Barr Can’t Win.” Barr is a Democrat running in North Carolina Senate District 37, Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, which the legislature gerrymandered into a safe Republican seat. Barr flipped the script. She says: “District 37 is so gerrymandered that I don’t stand a chance. But we deserve to have…

Democrats Show Up

By Gary Pearce December 17, 2023

Democrats are fired up. Republicans are fleeing the fight. Democrats have candidates competing for 168 of the 170 state House and Senate seats. Republicans fielded candidates in only 137 races. It’s clear which party has energy and enthusiasm going into 2024. When Anderson Clayton was elected state Democratic chair last February, she pledged to contest…

Tillis vs Trump

By Gary Pearce December 14, 2023

Senator Thom Tillis stood up to MAGA Mark Robinson. Now he should stand up to Donald Trump. Tillis, North Carolina’s senior Senator, endorsed Bill Graham over Robinson in the Republican primary for governor. Robinson promptly labeled Tillis one of the “RINO elites” plotting “to take me down.” Previously, Robinson blasted as “cowards” unnamed Republicans “who…

Coopercare

By Gary Pearce December 5, 2023

Some 600,000 North Carolinians will get quality, affordable health care now – thanks to the tenacity of one man: Governor Roy Cooper. When Medicaid expansion took effect last week, some headlines called it “bipartisan.” But Republicans had fought it since Obamacare passed in 2010. They supported expansion only after seven years of patient, persistent prodding,…

Abortion

By Carter Wrenn December 4, 2023

Two Republican candidates Democrats were hammering on abortion asked me before the election last year: “Should I answer those attacks – the party’s telling me to ignore them, that they don’t matter?” I said abortion mattered to swing voters, answer the attacks. Neither did. Both lost. This election Republican political wizards moved from ignoring abortion…

Time to Turn Back the Clock?

By Carter Wrenn December 1, 2023

Years ago when President Richard Nixon was in the White House politicians could take unlimited contributions and take corporate contributions. Nixon raised millions. Scowling, ruling Congress, Democrats passed laws that limited campaign donations – no one could give more than $1,000 and corporations couldn’t give at all. Thirty years rolled past. The Supreme Court upended…

An Odd Slip

By Carter Wrenn November 30, 2023

Standing on stage at a rally in New Hampshire making a speech Trump said an odd thing: “I was the first President in decades not to start a war.” Surely, Trump knew Obama didn’t start a war – that Bush did but Clinton didn’t. When Biden fumbles for words people frown. Trump just fumbled –…

A Pause

By Carter Wrenn November 29, 2023

To destroy German factories during World War II we bombed Hamburg, Berlin, other cities – bombs killed civilians but bombing tank factories meant fewer American soldiers died. Israel didn’t want a war with Hamas but got one – and it now faces the same choice we did: It bombs Gaza, civilians die, but bombs destroying…

Who’s crazy? The Country or the Media?

By Carter Wrenn November 28, 2023

Fox News showed protestors marching in Washington, graffiti scrawled on buildings: ‘Death to Israel.’ Newspapers, media websites, Facebook and Twitter were covered with stories about anti-Israel protests: Students chanting the Hamas mantra ‘from the river to the sea’ on college campuses, swastikas sprayed on synagogues, protestors in New York tearing down pictures of hostages held…

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…