President Bush is not a popular man these days. If his approval ratings fall any lower, they might be mistaken for the current Dow Jones Industrial Average. The lamest of ducks at this point in his career, a turkey might be the only way for him to salvage his legacy.
Every year, the president is presented with the National Thanksgiving Turkey [1]. And every year since 1989 — when the Bush’s father granted a stay to the national bird — a turkey has been pardoned by our commander-in-chief.
Now is the time for George W. to differentiate himself. Don’t grant the pardon. Eat the bird.
Pardons in the waning days of an administration are the stuff of Bill Clinton, not George W. Bush. It would be a final, Machiavellian exercise in strategery. Sure, PETA would cry foul (or fowl?), but he’ll likely never win their hearts anyway.
There will be a whole host of turkeys headed to Washington in the coming days, many of whom will undoubtedly require post-tenure pardon by the Obama administration. This Thanksgiving, it’s time for the president to make his mark upon history by returning to the great American tradition of eating turkeys — there will be plenty to pardon later.