Thanksgiving Presidential Turkey Pardon

Thanksgiving Presidential Turkey Pardon

President Obama made the official presidential Thanksgiving pardon on Wednesday, November 25.  "I hereby pardon 'Courage' so that he can live out the rest of his days in peace and tranquility in Disneyland."

• Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon: The Ingredients
• The Presidents' Pardon
• 2009 Turkey Pardon
• Cincinnati Has A Ball
• Turkey on Prozac

Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon: The Ingredients

Firstly, imagine this: you are president of the United States, and at Thanksgiving you are given yet another turkey; what do you do?  Secondly, consider the question, 'What are all presidents, especially presidents of the United States, skilled at?'  Why public relations, hype and maximising media opportunities.  Thirdly, what do all journalists seek?  If they can't get a scoop, then newspaper hacks create an urban myth by massaging the truth.

2009 Presidential Turkey Pardon

As usual, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, The President pardoned a turkey.  In 2009 President Obama spared 'Courage', along with an alternative called 'Carolina', apparently, this was the choice of his daughters. 

President Obama's Statement

Today, I am pleased to announce that thanks to the interventions of Malia and Sasha, because I was planning to eat this sucker, "Courage" will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate. Later today, he'll head to Disneyland, where he'll be grand marshal of tomorrow's parade. And just in case "Courage" can't fulfill his responsibilities, Walter brought along another turkey, "Carolina," as an alternate, the stand-in.

The Presidents' Turkey Pardon

The presidents' turkey pardon has all the above ingredients of a feel-good story.  Way back in 1947 the National Turkey Federation had the PR master-stroke of donating one of their finest turkeys to the President of the United States.  For 25 years the mutual publicity stunt proceeded without a hitch, until in 1963 when President Kennedy, looked at his turkey and said, 'Let's keep him going '. 

For the next 25 years nothing of note happened until in 1989 President George H.W. Bush (snr) officially pardoned that year's turkey.

Politicians are masters of jumping on a popular band-wagon and Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush carried on pardoning the Thanksgiving turkey, and strangely, 'An Alternate in case the principle cannot carryout its duties'.  No doubt a euphemism for insurance in case the first one is so fat it has a premature heart attack and dies before it can be pardoned. 

In a modern day twist on the presidential turkey pardon, the American public were now allowed to vote for the turkeys' names on the White House web site. The reprieved turkeys in 2008 were Pumpkin and Pecan, in 2007 May and Flower were spared, as were 2006's Flyer and Fryer.  Going back to 2005 it was Marshmallow and Yam; while 2004's were Biscuit and Gravy.

However, Will and Guy wonder if we missed the 2009 vote on which turkey to pardon?  Or has has there been a change of policy?  No doubt all will be revealed.

Thanksgiving Turkey

If You Think This Turkey Is Big? Wait Until You See The Gravy Boat

Cincinnati Has A Ball 

Bowlers Have A Fun Time: A Short, Clean Thanksgiving Story

Each year Cincinnati, USA, warms up for Thanksgiving with its traditional Turkey Bowl, an annual outdoor event using frozen turkeys in place of bowling balls.  Contestants will try to knock down 10 pins by sliding 'rock-hard' birds down a lane on the holiday season ice skating rink based in Fountain Square. The person with the highest score after three rounds wins $100 cash.

You may be pleased to know that Will and Guy have established that the frozen birds used in 'Turkey Bowl' are discarded store turkeys not intended for anyone's consumption. We would hate to see eatable birds going to waste.

Happy Thanksgiving

We await the next presidential turkey pardon on Wednesday November 24th 2010.

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