Obama pardons turkey at White House ceremony

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – Two lucky birds were spared from becoming part of a Thanksgiving feast when President Barack Obama continued the yearly tradition of pardoning turkeys at the White House on Wednesday.

An online contest was sponsored by the White House to determine which two turkeys would be pardoned in this year’s Thanksgiving. The president also joked that Nate Silver once again correctly predicted that the two birds would win.

Silver, who is a New York Times statistical analyst, correctly predicted the Obama’s reelection triumph.

The tradition of pardoning turkeys in the White House during Thanksgiving goes all the way back to Abraham Lincoln. This year’s pardoning ceremony saw Cobbler being pardoned, while Gobbler was also spared in the event that Cobbler fails to fulfill his duties.

Both turkeys will be sent to the historic home of George Washington in Mount Vernon, just outside of the nation’s capital, where they will spend the rest of their lives there.

A special Facebook page was created this year where Americans can vote which birds should be spared through the executive powers of “pardon” by the sitting U.S. president.

Obama was joined by his two daughters — Malia and Sasha — during the pardon ceremony. Two turkeys that were “not so lucky” will join them at a local food bank later in the day.

---

---