Obama pardons last turkey in Thanksgiving tradition

PRESIDENT Barack Obama pardoned his last Thanksgiving turkey on Wednesday, an annual tradition in which the US leader spares two birds – the centrepiece of most holiday tables – from the carving knife.

Obama’s teenage daughters, Sasha and Malia, who have stood by his side during previous pardons – notably casting side-eye glances at their father’s turkey-themed puns – were absent this year.

The festive occasion, rife with bad jokes and poultry photo-opportunities, saw Obama’s significantly younger nephews, Austin and Aaron Robinson, take their place.

“Unlike Malia and Sasha, they have not yet been turned cynical by Washington,” Obama said to laughter.

“Thanksgiving is a chance to gather with loved ones, reflect on our many blessings and, after a long campaign season, finally turn our attention from polls to poultry,” he said as he introduced this year’s turkeys – two 18kg birds named Tater and Tot.

Tot was pardoned in the Rose Garden ceremony, while Tater was on hand as an alternate, should anything go awry with the main bird.

“I want to take a moment to recognise the brave turkeys who weren’t so lucky, who didn’t get to ride the gravy train to freedom, who met their fate with courage and sacrifice and proved they weren’t chicken,” Obama said – prompting amused groans.

“All right, congratulations,” Obama told the crowd after pardoning Tot, as the turkey gobbled on cue.

The president also took the opportunity – his last pardoning before he leaves office in January – to check off a list of accomplishments.

The origin of the pardoning tradition is unclear – tales of spared turkeys date back to the 19th-century and the days of Abraham Lincoln whose son, the story goes, convinced him to let a bird live.

John F Kennedy was the first president to formally spare a turkey, in November 1963, but that pardoning only became a White House ritual with George Bush senior in 1989. – AFP