A knitter's challenge for politicians

#1

Firstly, I don’t want this thread to wander off into the territory of candidates and issues. I’m from Iowa, and while I’m told that the rest of the country is tired of hearing about us and our caucuses, trust me: I’m even more tired of listening to politics. I just thought my fellow crafty folks might appreciate the idea I had yesterday.

I got a ball winder for Christmas, and I used some of my Christmas money to buy two skeins of beautiful wool from High Prairie Fibers. Halfway through trying to wind the first skein (I don’t have a swift and I have yet to grow any extra appendages…), I had a massively tangled ball in my lap and was patiently disentangling it. I’ve done this with many balls of yarn in the past few months, as I’m making an intarsia baby blanket and I’ve had to split each ball into 8 equal portions by hand.

I think that political candidates should be required to do things like this. We should make them untangle balls of yarn or complete other tasks requiring patience, determination, and problem solving skills while they do their debates. Not just presidential candidates, either. I think Congress would benefit from this treatment. Better yet, let’s give them a task where they will have to work together to complete it.

Anyone can claim that their policies are better than someone else’s policies, and honestly: only time will tell whether the policies implemented will have the desired effect. I’d really like to see a practical demonstration of each candidate’s ability to reason through cause and effect, solve problems, and adapt to work more efficiently if necessary.

I’m not sure I want to trust my country to anyone who can’t untangle a ball of yarn.

#2

Yes, my dear. Hope you can find extra appendages, but don’t give your secrets to Washington. Those fellows would just use extra appendages to stuff more in their pockets.

I won’t push your point, other than to offer an idea I’ve had for a long time. Give every candidate the same amount of money and see how much good they can do for the country and its people in a prescribed amount of time. Whomever does the most with what they’ve been alloted wins. How banal is that? Who could handle it?

Also, do you suppose the arcane caucases will end at some point?'
After all, one would expect a different result if persons involved didn’t have to announce their choice out in front of God and everybody. I think the secret ballot is a good idea instead of pleasing peers in a given, caustic environment. But, what do I know?
Jean

#3

We should make them untangle balls of yarn or complete other tasks requiring patience, determination, and problem solving skills while they do their debates.

Interesting idea. It seems to me that all politicians (regardless of affiliations of any type) do just the reverse, they make everything tangled and more complicted. Just think, if knitters and crocheters ruled the world, we’re used to dealing with those pesky yarn ends.

In a perfect world…there would be no people. Well, maybe some knitters and crocheters.

Here in Washington state I’m forced to wonder if our votes count at all in national elections. I’m not tired of Iowa, I’m tired of the way the media treats everything. I’m with you in that

I’m even more tired of listening to politics.
It’s hard to believe that anyone really has what’s best for the country at heart.

#4

As a fellow Iowan, I’m with you. I’m tired of all the hype and it has been going on FAR too long. I’m also tired of all the Iowa jokes and snide comments out there. I DO like the yarn ball idea…good way to sort the wheat from the chaff.

#5

If untangling the yarn doesn’t work, maybe we could stuff it in their mouths? That should shut them up for a while. The media bottom feeders need some yarn too.

#6

I love this! I truly hope that during a debate someone who gets to ask a question just hands over a tangled skein asking for help from the candidates to unravel it. I would laugh my butt off and vote for the person who at least tried to help. Great thought. Love it!

#7

Would be even funnier to do it in the house and senate!