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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Student Anguish

By Gary Pearce March 24, 2023

Yesterday I blogged about Republican legislators who don’t want North Carolina schools to teach “concepts” that cause students to “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress.” I asked whether teaching the history of slavery and racism might cause “discomfort.” Several readers responded. One wrote, “How about physics and calculus?  I recall…

Whitewashing History

By Gary Pearce March 23, 2023

Republicans in the North Carolina House rammed through a bill saying schools shouldn’t teach any “concepts” that cause students to “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress.” Will some students feel “discomfort” when they learn that White Southerners introduced slavery to America, started a Civil War to protect slavery, denied Black…

Pusillanimous

By Gary Pearce March 22, 2023

Pu·sil·lan·i·mous, “pyoo-suh-la-nuh-muhs” (adjective): Showing a lack of courage or determination; timid. The United States today is confronting two brutal dictators: Putin in Russia and Xi in China. We face a nuclear threat from North Korea. The Middle East is volatile. This is no time for a President who is timid and lacks courage or determination.…

A Better Road

By Carter Wrenn March 22, 2023

It used to be when we had a primary here in North Carolina and no candidate won 50% of the vote there was a runoff between the top 2 candidates. Politicians frowned on runoffs, changed the rule: If a candidate got 40% of the vote, and led, he won. Then politicians changed the rule again:…

Parsing Words, Stepping Carefully

By Carter Wrenn March 21, 2023

Donald Trump’s in the crosshairs of the district attorney in New York, the district attorney in Atlanta, and a special prosecutor in Washington. Last week moving a step closer to indicting Trump the Manhattan D.A. asked Trump to testify in front of a grand jury. Does he have a case? Or is he fueling a…

Stop the Steals

By Gary Pearce March 21, 2023

In 1968, Richard Nixon’s campaign told South Vietnam to reject a peace deal before the election. Nixon thought peace might help Hubert Humphrey. In 1980, we now learn from The New York Times (link below), John Connally sent word to Iran not to free the hostages before the election. The Reagan campaign thought their release…

A Reason for Hope

By Carter Wrenn March 20, 2023

It was like traveling back in time, watching John Sebastian’s folk music documentary on PBS: An old black and white video of Judy Collins singing Turn, Turn, Turn, another video of Harry Belafonte crooning Jamaica Farwell, Trini Lopez singing If I Had a Hammer. Old songs rolled on: Where have all the flowers gone, Michael…

Trump’s Carnage

By Gary Pearce March 20, 2023

Donald Trump likes to incite violence. He set a violent mob on the Capitol January 6, 2021. Now he’s riling up his supporters to protest if he gets arrested. When Trump was inaugurated, he said, “The American carnage stops right here, right now.” No. He was just getting started.

Two Enemies

By Carter Wrenn March 17, 2023

During the Cold War America had one powerful enemy: The USSR. After the Cold War we faced no powerful enemies. Three decades later China started upping its nuclear arsenal, allied with Putin, Putin started a war. Fearing Russia, Germany started to arm. Fearing China, Japan started to arm. About the only thing Biden and Republicans…

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…