The National Turkey Federation began bringing live turkeys to the White House when President Harry S. "I know there's some bad ones in here, but this is the last time I'm doing this so we're not leaving any room for leftovers," he added. Obama embraced the moment, saying he hopes that when somebody at the Thanksgiving dinner table says you can't have any more food, you'll respond: "Yes, we cran." It inevitably also leads to several bad jokes that will leave the audience responding with "oohs" instead of laughs. The pardoning ceremony brings levity to the endless list of serious issues the president faces daily. Obama said it's a time to remember that "we have a lot more in common than divides us." He also challenged Americans to show the world that the United States is a generous and giving country, and to make sure everyone has something to eat on Thanksgiving.Īfter the ceremony, the president and first family will be volunteering at a community service event.
The ceremony also gave Obama a chance to reflect on the spirit of Thanksgiving. While only one could be named the "National Thanksgiving Turkey," the White House said that both birds will be sent to their new home at Virginia Tech's "Gobblers Rest" where they will be cared for by veterinarians and students. Each 18-week-old bird weighed in at about 40 pounds. For example, Tater's favorite snack is worms. Tot prefers tomato slices. The White House even provided a biography for each bird to help voters with their decision. Obama and Biden won the election handily, 53 percent of the popular vote to 46 percent and 365 Electoral College votes to 173.The White House asked people on Twitter to vote for which turkey will receive the pardon, though both will get a reprieve. The 2008 presidential campaign featured the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joseph Biden against the Republican ticket of Senator John McCain of Arizona and his vice presidential running mate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. Two days before the Democratic National Convention, he picked Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate. After a hard-fought Democratic primary against Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, Obama secured the Democratic Party nomination in June 2008. As a first-term Senator, he launched his presidential campaign in February 2007. Senate and won the election in 2004 by the largest margin in the history of Senate elections in Illinois. There's a United States of America.”Īfter serving as a state legislator for eight years, Obama ran for the U.S. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America. “There's not a liberal America and a conservative America,” he declared. Obama attracted national attention in the summer of 2004 when he gave the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. He first entered public office as a state senator in 1997. Returning to Chicago, Obama worked in a civil rights law firm and as a lecturer at the University of Chicago. During the 1990-1991 academic year, he was president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, the first African American elected to the position. In 1988, he enrolled at Harvard Law School. Obama then moved to Chicago, Illinois, and began working as a community organizer, helping low-income residents improve their public housing conditions. After attending school in Hawaii, Obama moved to the mainland for college-first attending Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, and then graduating from Columbia University in New York City. His mother, a white American from Kansas, and his father, a black Kenyan studying in the United States, met as students at the University of Hawaii. Obama emerged as an unlikely candidate during the 2008 presidential campaign. He was the first African American President in U.S. On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.