Annual Publicity Stunt

The annual turkey pardoning at the White House is a long-time publicity stunt that has endured under Republican and Democratic Presidents. It hangs on because it is cute and is a reminder that millions of turkeys give their lives on Thanksgiving so humans can celebrate. Citizens line up at the White House to watch the ceremony and the media faithfully cover it. One would think the stunt would get old and at some point a President will give it up. That time hasn’t come yet, and each year the pardoning reinforces prospects for the event in the following year. It’s an automatic renewal, as silly as it is. It is also a reminder that the Commander-in Chief can have fun along with the rest of the country, and of course, it gives social media something to talk about.