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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The Booze Cruise

By Carter Wrenn November 6, 2006

You’ve got to give it to the Democrats they’ve got ‘hutzpa.’ Last summer, Governor Easley’s minions in state government arranged a cruise around Beaufort Harbor (with a steel drum band, shrimp, lobster and plenty of liquor) to see the tall ships, spending $30,000 of taxpayers’ money. But that’s not what took ‘hutzpa.’ This is: Now,…

The Election: A Ray of Hope. At Last. Sort Of.

By Carter Wrenn November 6, 2006

Dick Morris reports the Zogby poll shows, since September 22, the percentage of Independents voting Republican has risen from 15% to 26% (DickMorris@vote.com). That’s the good news. But there’s bad news too. Morris reports the percentage of Republicans voting for Republicans dropped from 75% to 68% – so, overall we Republicans are no better off…

How Powerful is Internet Politics?

By Carter Wrenn November 6, 2006

MoveOn.org, which was created to save President Clinton from impeachment, is the liberal behemoth on the Internet. It just has targeted North Carolina Congressman Charles Taylor for defeat, opening “a storefront office in downtown Asheville” where “more than 400 volunteers have come to work the phones.” (News and Observer; 10-26-06) Let’s put that in perspective.…

Community College Trustees’ Special Fund

By Carter Wrenn November 3, 2006

With all the major scandals (like Kevin Geddings’ conviction), minor scandals (State ABC Board junkets to Ireland), and possible scandals, here’s a little sprout that’s not so much a scandal as an unusual fact. When a Community College needs to hire a new President it retains a professional ‘search’ firm. Several firms compete for the…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

“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…

“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…

Rolling Down the Elbe

By Gary Pearce April 19, 2026

Gwyn and I just returned from a 12-day journey through 1,000 years of history in Germany…