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

24 Hours

By Carter Wrenn September 12, 2023

Ole Trump’s a law unto himself. Back during COVID he speculated that injecting bleach in your arm might kill the virus. Last week, in New York, he said that when he was president he prevented a nuclear holocaust and saved millions of lives. Running for president, again, he says he’ll end the Ukraine War in…

How Low Can They Go?

By Gary Pearce September 11, 2023

You’ve hit bottom when Donald Trump Jr. accuses you of “shady back room deals.” He tweeted about North Carolina legislators’ machinations on casinos: “What’s going on in NC? Outrageous. Shady back room deals and crony capitalism are not the path to #MAGA!” One thing the Trumps surely know is The Art of the Shady Deal.…

The Inescapable Issue

By Carter Wrenn September 11, 2023

Powers beyond our control, breeding crises no one saw coming, have changed politics in the blink of an eye: Pearl Harbor did that. So did 9/11. And Covid. The ‘unexpected’ makes predicting the outcome of an election a year away risky business. For all we know Putin may invade Poland next. Or Kim Jong Un…

Politainment

By Carter Wrenn September 8, 2023

A video landed from a friend in my inbox – Reverend R.C. Sproul talking about ‘worshiptainment,’ – a blight sowed in churches by preachers turning services into concerts, stage shows. I wrote back, agreed, added I felt the same way about ‘politainment.’ Vivek Ramaswamy’s the new Republican politainer. We’ve also got entertainer Mark Robinson off…

Four More Years?

By Gary Pearce September 8, 2023

An aging President faces questions about his fitness for a second term. His poll numbers are discouraging. Americans are down on the economy. The opposing party smells blood. Joe Biden in 2023? Maybe. But also, Ronald Reagan in 1983, 40 years ago. Then, things changed. In 1984, a Reagan-Republican rout reshaped politics for decades to…

Earth to Mike Pence

By Carter Wrenn September 7, 2023

At the debate Mike Pence told Vivek Ramaswamy he was ‘wrong’ three times. After the debate, while campaigning in Iowa, Pence called Ramaswamy wrong two more times. Mike Pence is a good man but his campaign’s headed in an odd direction: He trails Donald Trump by 40 points but hammers Vivek Ramaswamy – but even…

Until the Roof Falls In

By Carter Wrenn September 6, 2023

A veteran who fought in the Iraqi war wrote in an op-ed: “Civic ignorance is a very old American problem…as far back as 1943, 77 percent of Americans knew essentially nothing about the Bill of Rights, and in 1952 only 19 percent could name the three branches of government.” He went on to say ‘civil…

Supreme Politics

By Gary Pearce September 6, 2023

My lawyer and judge friends may rule me out of order, but I believe Democratic candidates for the state Supreme Court should tell voters where they stand on fundamental constitutional issues. They should say that women have a constitutional right to abortion, that gerrymandering and voter suppression are unconstitutional, and that the legislature hasn’t met…

They’re Fed Up

By Gary Pearce September 4, 2023

The instantly iconic front page of The Daily Tar Heel tells you three things about their generation: They’re fed up with gun violence and school lockdowns They’re fed up with politicians who protect guns, not people They’re so fed up they printed the text “GUYS I’M SO FUCKING SCARED” in big, bold red type. That…

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…