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

A Political Dance…

By Carter Wrenn March 7, 2023

A young girl walking to a grocery store at night was raped at knife point; pregnant, back in the 1960s, she went to get an illegal abortion, stared at a blood-stained table, left – gave birth to her daughter, put her up for adoption. Nineteen years later the daughter – Rebecca Kiessling – met her…

A Trial

By Carter Wrenn March 6, 2023

Suing Fox News for $1.6 billion, to prove Fox knew Trump’s claims ‘the election was stolen’ weren’t true, Dominion Voting Systems released Fox TV stars’ emails and text messages. Tucker Carlson texted Laura Ingraham: “Sidney Powell is lying by the way. I caught her. It’s insane.” Ingraham responded: “Sidney is a complete nut. No one…

Lost Souls

By Carter Wrenn March 3, 2023

When George Washington was twelve years old his father died; he caught smallpox at nineteen, recovered; leading the Continental Army endured Valley Forge, suffered defeats, won Yorktown, after the Revolution refused to be made King. Abraham Lincoln lost his mother when he was nine; poor, as a boy he worked, handed money he earned to…

A New Constitution?

By Gary Pearce March 2, 2023

One of the truly worst ideas in the history of American politics is a convention of the states to rewrite the Constitution. One of the truly worst people in the history of American politics, Rick Santorum, was in Raleigh this week pushing the idea. When Santorum represented Pennsylvania in the Senate from 1995 to 2007,…

The Earthquake

By Carter Wrenn March 2, 2023

The day Putin’s tanks rolled into Ukraine, Finland’s President said, “Now the mask’s off.” Russian missiles hammering Ukraine shocked Americans – but it created an earthquake in Europe. For decades Europe’s leaders, smiling, thought peace in the lands they lived in was a given – Putin rocked their world. Finland, Sweden, immediately applied to join…

Three Internet Banshees – Knives Out

By Carter Wrenn March 1, 2023

Trump read a story about Ron DeSantis, tore into the New York Post on the internet for what he called ‘a puff piece,’ took a breath, added, ‘DeSantis is a RINO…getting clobbered in the polls by me,’ took another breath, shrugged, ‘I don’t read the Post anymore. It’s fake news, just like Fox & WSJ!’…

Bishop Curry’s Message of Love

By Gary Pearce February 28, 2023

Introduced as “the most exciting Episcopalian in history,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry didn’t disappoint. Of course, being the most exciting Episcopalian in history is “a low bar,” Rector Greg Jones joked as he presented Bishop Curry to the audience at St. Michael’s Church in Raleigh Monday night. Then Bishop Curry set a high bar for…

Tax Cuts or Better Schools?

By Gary Pearce February 27, 2023

It’s a long-running debate with long-running impact on North Carolina: cut taxes or improve education? This year, again, the Republican-controlled legislature is set on cutting taxes and starving public schools, even with a $3 billion-plus surplus that could significantly raise the quality of education. For 60 years, the state made a series of different decisions.…

The Proud Boys and Trump

By Carter Wrenn February 23, 2023

The lawyer for five Proud Boys on trial for storming the Capitol on January 6 said in the courtroom: “Donald Trump called on patriots to stop the steal. We’re calling on Donald Trump to take the stand.” Watching Trump sitting on the witness stand glaring at prosecutors, answering questions, would be entertaining – and if…

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…