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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School Bond Prospects No Better

By Gary Pearce October 16, 2006

The Wake County school bonds are winning the elites but losing the voters. Supporters have organized an impressive list of business backers. But that has not impressed voters. No poll has shown more than 45 percent of Wake voters supporting the bonds. And the bonds will not pick up undecided voters. That means 45 percent…

School Bond Fight

By Carter Wrenn October 12, 2006

Opponents of the school bond have run the first ad. Instead of supporting the billion dollar bond the Chairman of the County Commissioners, Tony Gurley, and Mayor Charles Meeker support, they endorse a smaller $650 million bond, which would not require a tax increase. They also support using the county’s hotel/motel tax to help schools.…

Price Blasts Bush

By Carter Wrenn October 12, 2006

Last week Congressman David Price told us the Bush administration’s anti-terrorism strategy has “made matters worse” and “has simply failed to meet the standard of an intelligent anti-terrorism strategy” (News and Observer; 9-29-06). Now, will Congressman Price also tell us his strategy to win the war on terrorism? If he – and his fellow Democrats…

A Good Year to be a Democrat

By Gary Pearce October 11, 2006

A Republican pollster told me last week that this year’s elections are looking extremely bad for his side and good for mine. Four weeks from today, the world will look very different: Democrats will control both the House and Senate in Washington; They will keep their majorities in both houses of the North Carolina legislature,…

An Odd Thing

By Carter Wrenn October 11, 2006

People will say just about anything about a politician they disagree with, say, on the war in Iraq. Anyone from the head of the Moral Majority to the Pope is fair game too. But when the Pope, ever so gently, raised the question of the role of violence in Islamic theology all of our free-wheeling…

Are You Safer Today?

By Gary Pearce October 10, 2006

Ronald Reagan won the presidential debate – and probably the election – by famously asking a simple question in 1980: Is America safer, stronger and more respected in the world today than four years ago? This election bears asking the same question. We know now that North Korea has the bomb. Here is what President…

The TTA, Bus Break Downs and Eminent Domain

By Carter Wrenn October 10, 2006

Mayor Meeker’s Triangle Transit Authority has been having a bit of trouble with its buses. The TTA runs an express bus everyday from Chapel Hill to Raleigh. According to the News and Observer the bus has been plagued by a series of mechanical failures. The air-conditioning goes out, one morning ten minutes after it left…

A Missed Nugget

By Carter Wrenn October 10, 2006

Here’s a nugget about the lottery trial from the Raleigh Chronicle (9/28/06) and NBC-17. So far, Kevin Geddings’ trial has focused on his failing to disclose his ties to lottery venders. Now NBC-17 reports a member of Governor Easley’s staff was paid cash to set up a meeting with the Governor and representatives of a…

Warner’s Warning

By Gary Pearce October 9, 2006

Senator John Warner, Virginia Republican, is former Secretary of the Navy, now chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a reliable supporter of Bush’s policies in Iraq. So when he says the situation there is “drifting sideways,” Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice have some explaining to do. I didn’t see Warner’s comments in the…

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,…

2 Votes!

By Gary Pearce March 4, 2026

Because of just 2 votes, North Carolina politics will be consumed – and the General Assembly…