In the midst of the most important and crucial presidential election in my 39 years of existence in this country and, perhaps, also that of my now elderly parents and long-gone grandparents, I decided to order a New York Strip Steak, medium with sautéed onions. 

With just days remaining before voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz returned to speak in a very different Asheville than the one he last saw in mid-September.

To the Editor:

Among the multiple insults Donald Trump is hurling at Vice President Kamala Harris (other than purposely mispronouncing her name) is labeling her “the worst vice president ever.”  This is laughable coming from a guy that 154 members of the American Political Science Association ranked as the worst president.

Let’s not sugarcoat it anymore. To call it “misinformation” is, in itself, misinformation. Let’s just call it what it is — straight-up lies, of the sort that would earn you a whoopin’ by meemaw if you repeated them to her face instead of spreading them from behind a keyboard like a coward. 

Amid the devastation and human suffering caused by Tropical Storm Helene, it’s only natural to lose sight of the fact that in less than 30 days, voters across the country will head to the polls to participate in a close, consequential election. Come hell or high water — Western North Carolina has had both — local election officials are working feverishly on a short timeline to ensure there are no disruptions to early voting, absentee balloting or Election Day activities.

To the Editor:

This letter is in response to LeRoy E. Cossette’s letter stating how bad a Harris presidency would be for the United States, dangerous even, since he (incorrectly) states she is a Marxist socialist. 

To the Editor:

Harris is focused on financial policies to benefit the middle classes. She proposes to reinstate child tax credits that Congress refused to extend and to add a new tax credit to the parents of newborns; provide tax credits to builders of starter homes, to first-time home buyers and to small business start-ups.

To the Editor:

This is in response to Cory Vaillancourt’s two articles in The Smoky Mountain News’ August 21 edition.

Mr. Vaillancourt stated that Trump is struggling to communicate effectively against Harris. Millions of voters, Republicans, independents, and yes, even Democrats, would beg to differ.

Remarks given by Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, stumping for the Democratic presidential ticket during a visit to Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, took on a more poignant air due to a tragic coincidence and a surprise guest — suggesting Americans remain especially divided on a controversial issue. 

Editor’s note: This story is a compilation of Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatches, “Via Chicago,” originally published online from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago the week of Aug. 19.