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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Sex and Politics

By Gary Pearce November 3, 2006

A Florida congressman resigns after sending suggestive emails to teenage male pages. A national evangelical-church leader is accused of paying another man for sex. Wake County’s own Sheriff admits to an affair with a married women 25 years younger than himself. Politics does make strange bedfellows. Let’s watch the reactions local Republicans have to Sheriff…

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Shut-Up, John Kerry

By Gary Pearce November 2, 2006

It’s bad enough that John Kerry ran one of the worst Democratic presidential campaigns in history, leaving America in the hands of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. But now he pops up in the final week of this campaign – potentially the Democrats’ best year ever. And he’s apparently determined to sink our swift boat again.…

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Meeker Takes the Lead, But…

By Gary Pearce November 2, 2006

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker is taking the lead on the future of the Dix property in downtown Raleigh. That’s a good thing. The Mayor gets criticized for sitting back too often, rather than standing up. But we ask the Mayor: What about North Raleigh? What about, for instance, the Horseshoe Farms debate? People in North…

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Polls Apart – Again

By Gary Pearce November 1, 2006

One reason I’ll watch the Wake school bonds vote is to see whose polls are accurate: The News & Observer published a Mason-Dixon poll strongly indicating the bonds would lose. That poll showed support at only 35 percent. But two other polls show the bonds winning. Public Policy Polling said last week the bonds were…

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“A Democratic Year – Or Years?” — Heaven Help Us

By Carter Wrenn November 1, 2006

Gary, I’ll go along with you and John Davis this far: The Republicans moving to North Carolina are not Jesse Helms Republicans. But then we part company. Here’s why: Republicans and Democrats are highly polarized, ninety percent (election after election) vote for the major candidates of their party. More people vote ‘straight tickets’ today than…

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A Democratic Year — And Years?

By Gary Pearce October 31, 2006

NC FREE Executive Director John Davis, like a lot of prognosticators, says this will be a Democratic year. HHHe also raises hopes there will be many more Democratic years. I heard Davis give a presentation in Wilmington this week, and I got some ideas and information from him I haven’t heard anyplace else. About this…

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Y’all Vote

By Gary Pearce October 31, 2006

We were asked to help promote a new website – www.yallvote.com – which bills itself as an “ad-free, non-partisan web site promoting voter education and participation in North Carolina.” Check it out. Click to Read & Post Comments

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Poll on School Bonds

By Carter Wrenn October 31, 2006

There’s a lot to be learned from the News and Observer’s poll (10-24-06). Let’s start with the School Bond. Supporters say their poll shows voters support the bonds 56% to 37%. The News and Observer’s poll shows almost the exact opposite. Voters oppose the bonds 54% to 35%. Every group in the News and Observer…

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Interrogations and Torture

By Carter Wrenn October 31, 2006

The ACLU is asking the courts to strike down the law Congress just passed (and the President signed) about the military’s interrogation of captured terrorists. They say the law allows interrogations and military trials that violate cherished traditions and civil liberties. Now, it is natural that anytime the American government passes a law limiting civil…

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Education Governor

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2025

With a better General Assembly, Josh Stein could join Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford on North…

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The N&O Story

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2025

Once upon a time, there was a great and powerful newspaper: The News & Observer. Everybody…

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How Democrats Win Again

By Gary Pearce March 10, 2025

The shouting, sign-waving and cane-wielding by congressional Democrats at the State of the Union isn’t a…

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