Front Porch Politics and Tying It Together podcast host Tim Boyum is on the road, talking with everyday Americans and local leaders about the issues that matter to them this election season. He is cranking out bite-sized podcasts along the way, and in his first edition, he is making his way up the Pennsylvania turnpike with photojournalist John Stampf in a rented Tesla.

On this stop, Tim reports from Madison, Wisconsin, where getting a hotel room is hard to find. That’s because he and Mark plan to take part in the World Dairy Expo while in town.

Now to the numbers, Tim said they’ve now traveled across six states in the last 36 hours. They covered 549 miles of road, charging four times along the way for a total time of an hour and 49 minutes and $60 in all.

Before leaving Lancing, Michigan, Tim wanted to speak with some independent voters about their thoughts on the vice presidential debate. They said the candidates either didn’t answer the questions or weren’t honest in their responses.

Once Tim arrived in Maddison, Wisconsin, he sprinted over to talk to a rural dairy farmer about what issues aren’t being heard in his industry and why. The farmer mentioned though he helps feed America, he sometimes feels ignored on key issues.

Tim said he’ll talk to more experts on the matter when they go to the World Dairy Expo tomorrow, then it’s straight to St. Louis.

Front Porch Politics and Tying It Together podcast host Tim Boyum is on the road, talking with everyday Americans and local leaders about the issues that matter to them this election season. He is cranking out bite-sized podcasts along the way, and in his first edition, he is making his way up the Pennsylvania turnpike with photojournalist John Stampf in a rented Tesla.

Host Tim Boyum continues his treck across America with recent stops in Pittsburgh, Buttler, Pennsylvania and then to Lordstown, Ohio before landing in Lansing, Michigan for the vice presidential debate.

He said they put on about 410 miles across three states. They’ve opted to choose the strategy of topping off rather than waiting to get to a 10% charge.

The two topped off before leaving, taking about 28 minutes and costing them $7 dollars. They also stopped in Gerrard, Ohio for another charge, taking 37 minutes for $14 dollars, as well in Toledo for a 44 minute recharge at about $18 dollars. Their final charge was in Lancing, Michigan for a 35 minute charge at about $16 dollars.

While in Butler, PA, Tim met with artist Bill Secunda who made what he estimates to be a 20-foot-tall, 200 lb statue of Donald Trump out of nails.

Once arriving in Lordstown, Tim spoke to residents about what they need to hear from politicians after a GM plant shut down in 2019. The mayor asked for a pledge of support and for candidates to pull through on those promises.

Tim and John head to Wisconsin for their next leg of the trip.

Front Porch Politics and Tying It Together podcast host, Tim Boyum, is on the road, talking with everyday Americans and local leaders about the issues that matter to them this election season. He is cranking out bit-sized podcasts along the way, and in his first edition, he is making his way up the Pennsylvania turnpike with Photojournalist John Stampf in a rented Tesla.

After leaving the Philadelphia area, they stopped in Morgantown, PA to charge up the vehicle. Tim did note, "range anxiety" is real when you're not used to driving an EV. He found himself constantly worried about what percentage he saw on the screen.

They found a supercharger at a gas station when the car was down to 34%, travelling 156 miles. It took 42 minutes and $16.13 to charge it back up to 100%. While waiting, one other car came and charged their vehicle, otherwise it was largely gas-powered vehicles.

Later it's Pittsburgh, then Lordstown, Ohio.

On this week’s episode of Tying it Together, Carter Wrenn joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his new book “The Trail of the Serpent”.

Carter has been a fixture in Republican circles for over four decades, starting with Ronald Reagan’s 1976 campaign in North Carolina. His most famous work follows the path and career of U.S. Senator Jesse Helms in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Carter transports listeners back in time with his extraordinary accounts of North Carolina’s historic campaigns.

On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum pulls back the curtain on the world of campaign fundraising.

Democratic fundraiser and Parker Poe partner Bruce Thompson joins Tim to consider the ins and outs of a multi-billion dollar industry full of intrigue, controversy and misconceptions. Thompson was part of Hillary Clinton’s national fundraising committee and has played a prominent role in North Carolina campaigns for decades.

He explains the common misconceptions surrounding fundraising and the thought that money drives candidate decision making. He added that a big downside to fundraising isn’t the amount of money, but the lack of transparency of who is donating.

The designation of North Carolina as a purple state is a common observation in the context of elections. But many might be asking, “what implications does that have and how might it affect the upcoming election?”

Dr. Chris Cooper from Western Carolina University joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his new book, “Anatomy of a Purple State” to peel back the layers of North Carolina’s unique and ever changing politics.

Four years after his U.S. Senate race and personal turmoil collided, Democrat Cal Cunningham sits down with host Tim Boyum to open up about that period in his life.

They talk about his affair with another woman, why he didn’t drop out and how it affected his defeat. They also break down the barbecue tweet that went viral, and why he says it made him more upset than just about anything else in the campaign.

Later, you can listen to the stories between Cunningham and his then opponent Sen. Thom Tillis share several meals together, and just how difficult it is to be a moderate in today’s politics. Both agree that though they may disagree on many things, dialogue is important.