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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A Pig in a Poke

By Carter Wrenn October 2, 2023

Face aglow, without a doubt in his voice, Trump said he’d end the Ukraine War in 24 hours. Vladimir Putin praised Trump. Trump boasted on Meet the Press, “I like that he said that. Because that means what I’m saying is right. I would get him into a room. Then I’d bring them together. And…

10 O’clock on Election Night

By Carter Wrenn September 29, 2023

On Meet the Press Trump told Kristen Welker there were lawyers in his administration, and lawyers in his campaign, who told him the ‘election wasn’t stolen’ – but then Trump added, he knew personally, the election was stolen at ‘10 o’clock on election night.’ Now stop and think about that for a moment: At 10…

Idolatry

By Carter Wrenn September 28, 2023

A young man sitting at dinner in a crowded restaurant leaned back. “I work with three Trumpsters. They love Trump. I asked one, ‘When Trump says he can end the Ukraine war in 24 hours – do you believe that?’ He absolutely did. 100%. Why can’t he see what Trump said was silly?” I nodded:…

Keep Kamala

By Gary Pearce September 28, 2023

The single most suicidal, self-defeating thing Democrats could do is drop Vice President Kamala Harris from the ticket in 2024. Some Democrats want to, but that’s short-sighted. They don’t see the punch and power she brings to the ticket. Most important, she’s ready to be President now. She was a tough prosecutor who put sexual…

Gold Bars

By Carter Wrenn September 27, 2023

Well, Democrats are using the Justice Department as a weapon again – but this time they threw Republicans a curveball: After FBI agents found envelopes stuffed with cash, shining gold bars, and a Mercedes convertible at his home he didn’t pay for, they indicted a Democrat for taking bribes. When Trump says Biden’s using the…

School-Voucher Scam

By Gary Pearce September 26, 2023

For all the news sources in North Carolina, no one has done more to expose the school-voucher scam than a seventh-grade English teacher in Charlotte, Justin Parmenter. To see how vouchers misuse tax dollars and hurt public schools, follow him on Facebook, Twitter @JustinParmenter and his website, Notes from the Chalkboard. He found that the…

Without Both?

By Carter Wrenn September 26, 2023

Democrats are enjoying seeing Trump in court – while Trump calls the lawsuits against him a ‘witch hunt.’ So is Biden on a witch hunt – or did Trump break the law? Here’s a question no one asks: What if both are true? What if Biden got Jack Smith to indict Trump? And what if…

The Age of Social Media

By Carter Wrenn September 25, 2023

Abrasive but entertaining politicians rant on Facebook, Twitter – and legions of people follow them. After Jeff Jackson landed in Congress he made a video. Oddly, he didn’t rant, he talked calmly – 3 million people watched. He made more videos without a rant – and over a million people watched each video. How’d he…

Moral and Political Failure

By Gary Pearce September 23, 2023

The casinos-for-Medicaid deal collapsed in the state legislature partly because it was an epic political miscalculation. It was also profoundly cynical and morally wrong. The Republican leaders, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore, did the impossible: They united Trump Republicans and almost all Democrats against the deal. Democrats were outraged by…

Obama 48-Trump 39

By Gary Pearce April 26, 2026

A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…

“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…