On Wednesday afternoon, for the last time in history, President Barack Obama engaged in the silliest of presidential traditions by pardoning a big white turkey from being eaten on Thanksgiving day.
Obama’s turkey history is a long one, having pardoned turkeys for eight years during his two terms as president. One of the president’s most favorite parts of the ceremony has got to be the slew of hokey so-called “dad jokes,” that he makes during the speech about the turkeys.
The president has made it no secret that his groan-worthy gags are done almost exclusively for the benefit of his daughters, Sasha and Malia. Over the years, the girls’ reactions have turned from devoted giggles to embarrassed groans.
During Wednesday’s final turkey pardoning, his daughters were not present – the POTUS said they had scheduling conflicts. Instead, his two adorably smiley nephews stood next to the president, petting the turkey’s white feathers and giggling.
Though President Obama has had a flawed presidency, especially for progressives who were disappointed to see him go the way of corporatism, knowing what we face for the next four years makes the man seem a bit more rosy.
No matter your gripes with the man as a politician, Obama himself has been an exemplary man, full of decency and well-worded speeches.
So now, watch the past eight years of turkey pardonings, groan in good-will toward the POTUS’s puns, and try not to think about what next year’s pardon will look like.
