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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Like a Politician

By Carter Wrenn January 16, 2018

Hardly anyone likes politicians drawing districts to elect themselves but, to rip apart the Congressional Districts Republicans drew, Judge James Wynn spun a tale full of fictions. Judge Wynn described the Republican Plan as a vicious extreme ‘partisan gerrymander’ that would assure Republicans win 10 of North Carolina’s 13 Congressional seats for years and cited…

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Fixing the Slips?

By Carter Wrenn January 15, 2018

President Trump said over and over that his tax cut is the biggest in history but, then, the press reported the Treasury Department had ranked every tax cut (as a percentage of GDP) since 1940. Was Trump first? No.  Was he second? No. Where did he stand? Last. Seventh out of seven. Which leads to…

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King, Trump and Helms

By Gary Pearce January 15, 2018

My blog “President Shithead” irked a TAPster who worked for Jesse Helms (not Carter): “I don’t mind when you pick on my old boss, but saying he’s part of a string of Trumps… that’s hitting below the belt.” That is pretty low. But is it justified? Well, Martin Luther King Day is an appropriate day…

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President Shithead

By Gary Pearce January 12, 2018

At times like this I consult my friend Boweaver. Now 90-something, he’s seen it all. He grew up in the Depression, enlisted in World War II and would be happy if FDR had lived forever and stayed President. His counsel generally keeps my head from exploding. He wrote back: “Who cares if Trump called some…

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No Guile

By Carter Wrenn January 11, 2018

Michael Wolff wrote Trump was crazy and dumb and Trump fired back on Twitter that he was a smart, stable genius but the master of the put-down (who once immolated Lindsey Graham by calling him a dumb, crazy, nut-job in one breath) had slipped: Trump tweeting he wasn’t crazy sounded crazy. Wolff wasn’t entirely unkind…

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The River

By Carter Wrenn January 10, 2018

The ‘Tweet of the Year’ award doesn’t go to Trump or a Hollywood liberal but to Mike Huckabee who, after watching The Darkest Hour, tweeted ‘in Donald Trump we have found our Churchill.’ The Trumpsters set Twitter on fire with cheers and the ‘Trump Haters’ had heart-lock – and politics went crazy again. Later, the…

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Cooped up

By Gary Pearce January 10, 2018

2017 was a cold first year for Governor Cooper. More heat is coming in 2018. Fittingly Cooper started both years on TV, managing snow and ice storms and wearing “disaster casual” (a tip of the TAP hat to Joe Stewart). In between, the Governor navigated an icy relationship with a power-crazed Republican legislature. He spent…

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There are leaders. And there’s Trump

By Gary Pearce January 8, 2018

The big holiday gift book was about Grant. The big movie is about Churchill. The hot book now – and the big story – is about Trump. Two leaders. And one poor excuse for a leader. I haven’t read the Trump book. I’ve read plenty about it. It’s set the political and media agenda since…

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A Sad Ending

By Carter Wrenn December 29, 2017

One morning at 6:23 am, not long after Roy Moore lost, the President set out to reassure his base by tweeting that, since Republicans were 5-0 in the Special Elections for Congress, they were on track to do ‘very very well’ in the upcoming election – then explaining his talents as a prognosticator the President…

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The View from Iceland

By Gary Pearce November 18, 2024

If you seek political asylum the next four years, try Iceland. We went there last week…

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Recessional

By Carter Wrenn November 11, 2024

The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kings depart: Still stands Thine ancient…

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Mistakes and Miss-Takes

By Gary Pearce November 10, 2024

Bert Bennett of Winston-Salem, the legendary political godfather to Terry Sanford and Jim Hunt, had a…

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