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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Trump’s Delusion

By Gary Pearce July 20, 2023

There’s no reasoning with Trump and MAGA, but there’s a good reason President Biden isn’t “weaponizing” the Justice Department to knock Trump out of the 2024 race: Trump is the Republican Biden is most likely to beat. As 2016 showed, there are no certainties in politics. Trump could win and execute his plan to vastly…

Riveting

By Carter Wrenn July 19, 2023

“Deranged Jack Smith,” Trump tweeted, “the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.” It…

Big Mark and Big Pharma

By Gary Pearce July 18, 2023

When it comes to Big Pharma, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson goes from roaring lion to purring pussycat. The Republican candidate for governor told the New Hanover County GOP, “I don’t intend to do like our current attorney general did and sue the drug company.” Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democratic candidate for governor, did sue…

Not This Kennedy

By Gary Pearce July 14, 2023

A recent poll showed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. getting 20% of the Democratic vote against President Biden. I’ll wager that most all of the 20% who picked Kennedy know just one thing about him: He’s a “Kennedy.” They don’t know – yet – that he’s an anti-vaccine, anti-science, conspiracy-spewing misogynist who said recently, “I’m proud…

A Flash of Lightning

By Carter Wrenn July 12, 2023

A year into the toughest campaign I was ever in when Jesse Helms trailed popular Governor Jim Hunt by 25 points, Arthur Finkelstein walked into my office, dropped a poll on the table, looked from me to Tom Ellis, pursed his lips. “It’s time you two learned something new.” Arthur pointed to the 4-inch-thick poll…

Free Speech Under Attack – Again

By Gary Pearce July 11, 2023

Sixty years later, history has hit “repeat” on the fight for free speech at North Carolina’s public universities. In 1963, it was one bill – the infamous Speaker Ban law – passed on one day at the end of the legislative session. Now, it’s bill after bill, step after step, day after day: the legislature,…

Brace Yourself

By Carter Wrenn July 10, 2023

Would you trust a politician who told you he never makes mistakes? Would you stare back surprised? Roll your eyes? Shaking your head think, Pride’s one of the seven deadly sins. Brace yourself. Trump’s War Room recently tweeted: “Trump is always right!”

Run Everywhere?

By Gary Pearce July 7, 2023

A reader wrote about North Carolina Democrats’ 2024 strategy: “I question the wisdom of trying to recruit Democratic candidates in all 170 legislative districts. Precincts and counties that voted overwhelmingly for Trump seem like lost causes to me.” Indeed, some places are 70 percent Republican. Why run there? Here’s why. Josh Stein won the 2020…

You Pay a Price Either Way

By Carter Wrenn July 7, 2023

One group cheers Trump. Another cheers Biden. And a lot of people dislike both. And that third group will decide who wins the election next fall. In 2016, they didn’t like Trump, disliked Hillary more, Trump won. In 2020 they didn’t like Biden, disliked Trump more, Biden won. This year, for the third straight presidential…

Getting the News

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2026

How do you get your news? Our statewide poll asked North Carolina voters what their primary…

MAGA-gator

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2026

Thom Tillis and Phil Berger fed the MAGA alligator. Then it ate them. Thomas Mills wrote…

Enough is Enough

By Gary Pearce March 11, 2026

Exactly 80 years ago, in 1946, Republicans took control of Congress with a simple message: “Had…