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.
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