WASHINGTON — This year, 88 percent of Americans will dig into turkey at Thanksgiving — and although 46 million birds will be consumed, two are looking at a brighter fate.
Cobbler and Gobbler — they are turkeys — attended a press conference Tuesday at the upscale W Washington Hotel before heading to the White House to be pardoned by President Barack Obama on Wednesday in an annual pre-holiday tradition.
Steve Willardson, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, was responsible for selecting the turkeys, which he said are normally chosen based on their calmness and demeanor.
“They’ve got it good, I’ll tell ya,” Willardson said. “They’ve got a pan, a bed, and a really good meal.”
Ed Bate, general manager of the W Washington, said this is the fourth year the hotel has hosted the event. Bate said he hopes the turkeys have a comfortable visit before they’re pardoned.
“They have their own undisclosed suite and we haven’t had any complaints from the neighbors yet,” Bate said. “Our chef’s even prepared a special meal for them: an organic mix of greens with extra cranberries.”
While the turkey pardoning tradition is tough to pinpoint, with some believing it started with President Abraham Lincoln and others with President John F. Kennedy, one thing is certain: Former President George H.W. Bush was the first to officially pardon a turkey in 1989.