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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I don’t care

By Gary Pearce April 20, 2023

The Tricia Cotham soap opera doesn’t interest me. Were Democrats mean to her? I don’t care. Did PAC donations play a part? I don’t care. Will a once-pro-abortion progressive find peace, love and joy in the Republican caucus? I don’t care. Things I do care about: the public-school crisis, the behavioral-health crisis, the gun crisis,…

Straight Talk

By Carter Wrenn April 20, 2023

It’s odd. Trump’s facing a lawsuit and two investigations that could end in lawsuits but when he was indicted for paying a porn star hush money and covering it up the Republicans running against him like DeSantis and Pence didn’t murmur a critical word about Trump – they defended him. I guess that was politically…

Josh and Mark

By Carter Wrenn April 19, 2023

Years ago when Ronald Reagan ran for president against Gerald Ford most GOP party officials were unhappy – they didn’t like Reagan. That didn’t turn out to make much difference in the primary. Republican voters liked Reagan – so he beat Ford in NC’s primary. The other day I read an article in the newspaper…

Getting to 55 percent

By Gary Pearce April 19, 2023

One of today’s sharpest political analysts, Simon Rosenberg, has mapped out a path for Democrats to get 55% of the national popular vote in 2024, up from President Biden’s 51.4% in 2020. And North Carolina is on Rosenberg’s map. He was one of the few who wasn’t swept away in 2022 by the Republican/media “red…

“Democratic,” not “Democrat”

By Gary Pearce April 18, 2023

We Democrats expect it from Republicans. But not journalists. A recent news story referred to “Democrat leaders” (emphasis added). Media folks, please note: Democrats take offense at the use of “Democrat” as an adjective. It should be “Democratic.” Donald Trump said in 2021, “You know I always say Democrat. You know why? Because it sounds…

Biden’s Happy

By Carter Wrenn April 18, 2023

Headlines paint pictures: Trump Indicted Jordan Subpoenas Former Prosecutor in Trump Hush Money Case House GOP Probes Trump Indictment Trump: Defund the FBI Trump Indictment Sparks Rating Boom for Cable News Networks DeSantis’ Long Haul Strategy Turn on the TV, open a newspaper – there’s Trump, dominating headlines. No one matches him. No one can…

A Hung Jury

By Carter Wrenn April 17, 2023

A Playboy centerfold had an affair with Trump; porn star Stormy Daniels had a one-night fling with Trump at a Lake Tahoe resort. Ten years later Trump ran against Hillary – the centerfold tried to sell her story to a tabloid. Trump told David Pecker, the tabloid owner, Buy it, kill it. I’ll repay you.…

More On Wisconsin

By Gary Pearce April 15, 2023

More than a century ago, Wisconsin pioneered progressive politics in America. More than a decade ago, it pioneered regressive right-wing politics. This month, it may have signaled a sharp turn away from MAGA extremism – and lit a path out of the darkness for North Carolina Democrats. It wouldn’t be the first time Wisconsin and…

In Praise of (Some) Republicans

By Gary Pearce April 12, 2023

I don’t often say nice things about Republicans, so brace yourself. I’m reading The January 6th Report: Findings from the Select Committee to Investigate the Attack on the U.S. Capitol. The report shows that, at crucial moments, Republicans in key positions stood up against the Trump-MAGA attack on democracy. Then Republicans testified about what happened,…

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…