Worldviews in Conflict: 2024 November Election Day Results (published 11-29-2024; article #503)

Photograph by Janine Robinson on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

Introduction

Twenty-four days ago, it was finally over. On the day after Thanksgiving, I am thankful that it is behind us now. I am relieved.

The recent presidential election result was better than four years ago. Lord willing, Donald Trump, the 45th president, will become the 47th president next year on Monday, January 20. I held my nose and voted for him on Election Day, November 5th.

Welcome to the 25th entry in the Worldviews in Conflict topic section, dear reader. This article is a follow-up to the three-part series from last month.

What is the origin of the phrase “Don't let the camel get its nose under the tent”? The conclusion will explain. Further, it will share my Black Friday humor from yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone except a first cousin of my wife understood it.

Last Month's Three-Part Series

Late last month, I published a three-part series on the then-upcoming election day. The focus was on political worldviews in conflict. The lofty goal was to encourage this nation and every nation to unite under the biblical worldview.

Part one, on 10/29/2024, focused on the ground view and then the aerial view of the political worldviews in conflict. Part two, the next day, contrasted the 2024 Republican Party platform with the 2024 Democrat Party platform. The final part on Halloween contrasted the positions of former President Trump and current Vice President Harris on key issues.

The noble efforts by many Christian commentators, orators, and writers that encourage political unity based on the biblical worldview may continue to fall on deaf ears. Perhaps enough are being persuaded.

2024 Election Results

President

The November 5th presidential election marked the sixtieth presidential election cycle, since President Washington became the first president in 1789. Thankfully, former President Trump defeated Vice President Harris.

The electoral college votes were 312 for Trump and 226 for Harris, with 270 needed to win. Trump won the popular vote with 76,838,984 votes (50%) to Harris' 74,327,659 votes (48.4%). Trump carried 31 states. Harris won 19 states plus the District of Columbia (DC). Source: Google: 2024 US elections: Results: Presidential.

For recent perspective, National Archives: Electoral College Results shows the following electoral college results:

2016: Donald Trump, 304. Hillary Clinton, 227.

2020: Joseph Biden Jr., 306. Donald Trump, 232.

The previously referenced source shows upcoming “Key Dates and Events” as follows:

● By December 11, 2024, electors are appointed: “The State Executive of each State signs the Certificate of Ascertainment to appoint the electors chosen in the general election.”

● On December 17, 2024, electors vote: “The electors in each state meet to select the President and Vice President of the United States.”

● On January 6, 2025, “Congress counts the vote: Congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes (unless Congress passes a law to change the date from a Saturday or Sunday).”

● January 20, 2025, is Inauguration Day: “The President-Elect is sworn in as President of the United States.”

Let us hope, trust, and pray that all goes well between now and Inauguration Day. May the incoming administration govern by and influence this nation to follow the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. That is my hope and prayer. Those noble documents are based on the biblical worldview.

Senate

The Senate, composed of 100 senators, flipped to a slim Republican majority. With 53 seats, Republicans gained four seats and took control of the Senate. The four seats that flipped Republican were in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Democrats gained one seat in Arizona. Democrats hold 45 seats, but two independent senators caucus with Democrats, giving Democrats 47 seats.

Thirty-four Senate seats were up for election, including 19 held by Democrats, 11 held by Republicans, and four held by Independents. Of the 34 seats, nine were open, since the incumbent did not seek reelection. Republicans won 15 seats, gaining the four stated previously. Democrats won 17 seats. Independents won two seats. The two independent senators that caucus with Democrats won reelection in Maine and Vermont. Sources: Ballotpedia: United States Senate Elections: 2024; Google: 2024 US elections: Results: Senate; Politico: 2024 Election: Results: Senate; and 270toWin: 2024 Senate Election Live Results.

I cast my vote proudly for incumbent Senator Marsha Blackburn. She defeated her rather raucous and obviously socialist-Democrat opponent by a landslide.

Partisan bickering may continue. Republicans lacking backbones may give in to socialist agendas. I hope not. Instead, I hope that the Republican majority has a collective backbone, does not waver, and advances an agenda that follows the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Those impressive documents align with the biblical worldview.

House

Elections were held for all 435 districts of the House of Representatives. Before the election, the Republicans held a slim majority by seven members over the Democrats, 221 to 214.

Amazingly, twenty-four days after the election, one House race in California is yet to be called! After Election Day, the Republicans still hold a thin majority, by six members, 220 Republicans to 214 Democrats. That totals 434 members, with one race still undecided but leaning Democrat. Sources: Ballotpedia: Election results, 2024: U.S. House; Google: 2024 US elections: Results: House; Politico: 2024 Election: Results: House; and 270toWin: 2024 House Election Live Results.

I was honored to vote for incumbent Congressman Tim Burchett, who represents the 2nd District. The Democrat opposing him didn't have a snowball's chance in an extremely hot location.

Presumably, the divided House of Representatives will continue to play tug of war. Republicans should be strong and united enough to pull Democrats into the mud pit most of the time. Perhaps Republicans will be able to pull Democrats through the socialist mud pit and onto their side, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are upheld. Those impressive documents hold true to the biblical worldview.

Conclusion

On the day after Thanksgiving, I decided to finish and publish this article. I had shelved it for several days. Concluding thoughts focus first on the origin of the phrase “Don't let the camel get its nose under the tent.”

Research indicates that it is an old Arab proverb. A man takes shelter in his tent from a sandstorm. Outside, his camel endures the sandstorm, as it is designed to do. The camel, seeking to be more comfortable, asks polite permission to place his nose under a tent flap, to better protect it from the blowing sand. Sympathetically, the man agrees. The camel progressively and so politely continues to ask to allow more of his body to enter the tent. The man proceeds with his compassionate allowance. Eventually, all the camel's body is in the tent with the man. The small tent is now cramped. The camel, being larger than the man, aggressively forces him out of the tent and into the sandstorm.

On the day after Thanksgiving, I am thankful that a slim majority of voters had enough sense to keep the socialist camel from slipping further into the tent. Moreover, I hope that the socialist camel will be pushed completely out of the tent. It can stay outside in the sandstorm, where it belongs.

Final concluding thoughts focus on my Black Friday humor from yesterday, Thanksgiving Day. Yesterday, eight family members and a family friend gathered at my father-in-law's home. I wanted to hike House Mountain, before the traditional meal, but the damp, windy, and cloudy weather prohibited me. After the delicious meal, over which my father-in-law gave thanks, various conversations flowed like gravy over slices of turkey.

Some of the ladies were discussing their shopping today on Black Friday. I had the opening. I took it! In sarcastic humor, I complained that the term “Black Friday” was offensive. In jest, I suggested that today should be called “Person of Color Friday,” so as to not offend those, whose skin is much darker than mine. Everyone except a first cousin of my wife understood my satire. I even stated that I was speaking in humor, as if I held a so-called “woke” mentality.

I left before my wife, who had arrived earlier and stayed later than me. After I departed for home, I learned that, in total seriousness, this cousin-in-law had accused me, behind my back, of being racist! The man made the accusation, while outside with my wife and our niece. My wife told me, once she arrived home.

In loving kindness as a Christian, I may need to confront and correct my cousin-in-law, if he persists in his false accusation. Articles from last year offer my statements on the “woke” mindset (1/22/2023) and on racism (3/17/2023). I suggest that my wife's cousin read those articles.

In final close, on this infamous shopping day after Thanksgiving, what did my wife and I do? Well, she visited with her nearby family. I hauled off the trash and recycling and did a few household errands. This morning, the weather was cloudy. The afternoon, while I was about my chores, had turned sunny, cool, and breezy. I should have gone hiking, as I did on this day last year!

Belated happy Thanksgiving to you all! Please don't tell me that you endured the mass hysteria of shopping on Black Friday! By the way, the article from 12/1/2023, about my hike on this day last year, includes the following:

. . . Black Friday started, in 1869, when two investors caused a market crash of 20%. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, changed the meaning of Black Friday, to mean tourism and shopping. In the late 1980s, Black Friday became widely known as the frenzied shopping day after Thanksgiving. It's called Black Friday, not Red Friday, since accountants use red ink for financial losses and black ink for financial gains.

Molly's Reflections from Her Ninth Birthday: Belated Happy Halloween! (published 11-21-2024; article #502)

11/14/2023 photograph, by M. Fearghail, of Molly on House Mountain. Originally included in the 11/19/2023 article.

Introduction

I'm sorry, Molly! I wanted to publish this article on your birthday.

In late October, the three-part series about the then-upcoming presidential election was on my mind. In October, the articles were published on the 29th, 30th, and 31st (Halloween). Later that week on my Substack platform, I published the following synopsis of that series: Worldviews in Conflict: 2024 Presidential Election (published 11-2-2024; article #39), Appalachian Irishman: Substack.

Molly is our ol' puppy. She has been a part of our lives for nine years as of today. She decided to settle in with us on Saturday, 11/21/2015. Molly was about eight months old then, so she was likely born in March 2015. Molly, however, prefers to celebrate her birthday on Halloween. This fifteenth entry in the Pets topic section includes Molly's reflections, in her own words, from her ninth birthday. Take it away, Molly!

Molly's Reflections from Her Ninth Birthday

Woof, woof, sniffy, sniffy, and tail-waggy greetings, y'all! The man has turned the keyboard over to me now. I learned how to type words in English. I can't speak the language yet, but I understand spoken English fairly well. The man understands and speaks dog language well enough.

This is the third time that I've written a section in an article for the man. The first time was on my birthday last year, when I wrote most of “A Dog's Perspective, on Her Birthday (published 10-31-2023; article #439).” The next month, I wrote under the section “Hike #183 (11/14/2023): Molly's Hike #8!” in the article “House Mountain: 3 Hikes in 3 Days! (published 11-19-2023; article #442).” I'm a paid writer. The man pays me with delicious and healthy treats and snacks.

Speaking of treats and snacks, the woman lets me out of my basement condominium about 6:20 every morning. She replenishes my water bowl and fills my food bowl with breakfast. Occasionally, I eat breakfast or most of it. I prefer, however, the early afternoon treats and snacks that the man places in my front porch food bowl! Beforehand, he and I play a few games with what the man calls my exercise toys. I like “ol' favorite,” “poofer,” and “plastic bottle” the best.

For my seventh birthday, a couple of years ago, the man recorded the first episode of “Molly-TV.” We were playing the plastic bottle game! The episode, of just over a minute, is embedded in the article “Molly's Birthday Fun at Age Seven! (published 10-31-2022; article #369).” Do you want to see it here? Here it is again!

I need to stop writing now. I want to go out to the front yard and bark at a neighbor's house! One of their dogs, nicknamed “Brown Puff,” is doing something interesting! The man will see me and hear me barking. I hope that he comes outside and hangs out with me for a while. We may play a few exercise games!

Conclusion

Wow! Molly quickly bounced away from my computer desk, out of my home office, and to the front door! At the door, she whined to go outside. Of course, I let her out! Now, she is outside, barking toward a neighbor's house! Of course, all our neighbors know Molly and her antics. They like Molly. A couple of neighbors, while walking for exercise, stop by to give her treats.

Going back in time, a couple of articles that Molly didn't mention are from 6/19/2021, when I told the story about our “super puppy,” and from 10/22/2022, when I spilled the beans about Molly's illegal border crossing.

I'd better stop writing! I must go outside to have some fun with Molly! This article is published exactly nine years to the day after we got Molly.

Finally, this article remembers that Papaw Marion Ferrell passed away on this day in 1970.

House Mountain Hike #194, 11-13-2024: Centered at the West Bluff (published 11-16-2024; article #501)

Introduction

This area needed the rain, which started about 10 PM on Wednesday evening. The weather had been unseasonably warm and dry. Thursday was cloudy and rainy. Yesterday the clouds lingered.

Today is perfect hiking weather! Why am I not hiking? I am prioritizing the completion of this article while glimpsing at college football. I would rather be hiking!

Tuesday's weather was also perfect for hiking, but my monthly chiropractic adjustment was that morning. Knowing that I should take it easy after a routine adjustment, wisdom dictated that I not hike that day. I still had the itch. I scratched it the next day!

On Wednesday afternoon, before the late evening rain, the weather and my soulful maxim, the mountain was calling, and I had to go, beckoned me to House Mountain for my 194th hike along those steep and rugged trails.

Welcome to the seventy-first entry in the hiking topic section, dear reader! This article takes us up to the west bluff, enjoys the solitude at the west bluff, and leads us back down on the same trail. The temperature was in the upper 60s Fahrenheit. The weather was mostly sunny with a light breeze. These indicated the oncoming rain, which started late that evening.

Hiking Up to the West Bluff

Arriving at the main parking lot about 12:40 PM, I didn't start hiking up the west trail until 12:52 PM. What took me so long? Hydrating before hiking is wise. I had hydrated too much. A few yards along the east Sawmill Loop Trail, near the parking lot, provided cover. Need I say more? I didn't want to use the men's side of the fancy outhouse. The odor is unpleasant in there!

Relieved and refreshed, the west trail called me upward. I had to go.

The article from 10/19/2024, about my 192nd hike on House Mountain on October 9, concentrated on the fallen trees brought down by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. It includes twenty photographs. I had counted at least nineteen trees down that blocked areas along three trails. At least twelve of those trees had fallen across areas along the west trail.

That previous article includes a photograph taken from just below the third lower switchback. A downed tree or trees had completely blocked that switchback. On Wednesday, the following photograph, taken at 1:08 PM, from just above the same third lower switchback, shows that the blockage had been cleared.

I wonder if employees from the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department cleared the trails. Someone had, for which this avid hiker is thankful! All twelve areas along the west trail, which fallen trees had blocked, were cleared.

At 1:12 PM, having hiked up the lower area, I started hiking up the six upper switchbacks. Not in a hurry, I stopped at times to fill cutouts near switchbacks with fallen branches. Hopefully, that effort will dissuade unthoughtful hikers from taking those cutouts.

The next photograph, taken at 1:40 PM, shows the steep and rocky outcroppings on the trail that leads west and below the ridge.

A huge rock formation is above me. It is partially visible in the upper right corner of the image. How do hikers negotiate this steep and rocky area? Carefully hike up and right, using hands and feet! Hiking theology encourages everyone to hike up and right in life.

Reaching the top of one set of rocks, a thorn bush, growing between two boulders, tried to prick my face. I took out my sheath knife and cut the thorn bush. It won't be in anyone's way now!

Just after I had cut the thorn bush, I heard and saw a young lady, who was hiking down. Seeing my knife out surprised her. Calmly, I assured her that I had cut a thorn that almost got me. Wiping off the blade on my pants, I secured the knife back into the sheath. We continued to talk about hiking, the fallen trees that had been cleared, and trail maintenance. We didn't exchange names or contact information, but I hope that the young lady continues her love of hiking and interest in trail maintenance.

At the West Bluff

Continuing upward and west, I reached the west bluff at 2:02 PM. Alone, I sat on a rock, stood, and walked about. Turkey buzzards flew overhead. I didn't see a hawk. Clouds were rolling in gently, but the sky was still mostly clear and sunny. The gentle breeze refreshed me.

I took the photograph below at 2:15 PM. I was standing a few yards behind and above the west bluff. Trail markers are visible in the image.

Silently, I listened to the sounds of civilization below me. Far away, someone was using a chainsaw to cut wood. I heard a few vehicles on the roads below me. Around me, squirrels and birds rustled leaves as they moved about. It was a perfect moment in time.

I thought about recording a new episode for Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube). I have recorded fifteen episodes in the Hiking Playlist and two in the Hiking Theology Playlist. The episode that I didn't record would have focused on the silence and the sounds below and around me.

I centered myself at the west bluff. The trappings of modern life were below me. Natural life was around me. God was above and around me. Quietly, I centered myself. Fellow hikers understand that kind of moment in the woods.

Unfortunately, a couple of groups of hikers reached the bluff. My perfect moment alone with God and nature was over.

Hiking Down and Out

The only photograph, which follows below, that I took on my hike down and out on the west trail was at 2:32 PM. Moments before, I had slowly and carefully scaled down, in crab-like fashion, the steep and leaf-filled ascent to the bluff.

Looking north, the bluff is above me. I enjoy the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet while hiking. Step carefully though! Unseen, loose rocks and twigs can roll a footstep. Leaves can cover a divot in the ground. I step lightly and carefully, before placing full weight on each step.

A group of female hikers and I shared a humorous moment somewhere near the steep and rocky outcroppings on the trail below the ridge. They were hiking up, as I hiked down. One lady, perhaps in her 40s, had hiked House Mountain once, years ago. It was the first time for the other ladies to hike “my mountain.” They asked me a few questions about the trail, which I answered, sharing that this was my 194th hike on the mountain. One lady asked, “Where is the trail?” I answered, “Just keep going up and right. You'll find it and stay on it.” Once again, my hiking theology encouraged the group to hike up and right in life. The ladies seemed to enjoy the humor that I laced with theology.

Continuing down, near several of the six upper switchbacks, I paused to cover cutouts with fallen branches. Having done this many times over the years, I disdain thoughtless hikers, who cut out around switchbacks! Kindly, I have educated several through the years.

Conclusion

At 3:52 PM, I touched the sign near the covered picnic area, to mark the end of my hike. That was exactly three hours in the woods! Any day or a few hours of a day spent in the woods is better than not having been there!

On House Mountain, I have six more hikes to take, before reaching my 200th hike there. Lord willing, I plan to hike “my mountain” six more times before year-end. Everyone needs to set good goals in life. That's one of mine.

What is the ultimate goal in life? In the first century, the inspired apostle Paul framed it well, in his letter to the brethren at Philippi. The context is Philippians 3:1-14. Verse 14 (NIV) concludes as follows:

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Shifting gears in closing, let's end with a sports goal. The Georgia Bulldogs host the Tennessee Volunteers this evening. Game time is 7:30 PM. Will Smokey the bluetick hound dog beat Uga the bulldog? Will Uga triumph against Smokey? We will see, beginning at 7:30 PM. Go Dawgs! Good luck, Vols!