I think the title pretty much says it all. In doing some research I’ve learned that turkeys have been pardoned since before Trueman and that when they get pardoned they go to Disneyland. No kidding.
Well, wouldn’t you rather go to Disneyland that be eaten? And is it your problem if some other dude is sitting on death row?
More research shows the first official pardon came from Bush Sr. Did the Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon Begin with President Truman? | Snopes.com
Publicity, why does Mr Obama go to Egypt or China to make a bunch of speeches, he could’ve given via TV and saved the taxpayers all that money. (And yes I know Republican Presidents made trips too). The point is it’s all about publicity.
I wonder how many people would eat turkey if they had to kill it. Reminds me when I had some mice in my flat. I killed the first one with a smash of the shoe, and felt a bit bad. But after that, no way, they’re in my flat they get killed and smooshed and tough luck on them. Let them stay outside and live. Once in my flat, they are goners 
Why do presidents pardon turkies? They’re just going to eat a different one instead.
You’re right. It doesn’t make any sense.
It never has.
I think that it makes perfect sense. The president in a quid pro quo gives thanks to the National Turkey Federation who gives him the turkey(s?) and they get prominent advertising of their organization.
I do think it is cheesy that an org that is for WILD turkey hunting and conservation gives him Domestic turkeys. Mercedes versus Hundai
It makes sense if you eat the guilty one.
Because it does no harm and is not controversial. It may be lame, but nobody is going to start a war over it.
Turkeys might.
We’re going to war with Turkey? Why wasn’t I told?
Well, given that you live in a flat, it only seems fair.
So, is the presidential pardon a way of saying, “(no) harm no fowl”?
Eh, they’ve already got their hands full with Armenia and Kurdistan. They’re not going to try to add more to their troubles.
Barvo just aired the Shibboleth episode of The West Wing that features President Bartlett pardoning a turkey. Obviously it’s fiction, but Dee Dee Myers, Press Secretary to President Clinton was a consultant to the program, and those aspects of White House live always seemed to ring especially true. In the show, the White House had purchased a turkey for the event. They felt silly doing it, but like many silly things, it had become a tradition.
To be politically correct and balanced, shouldn’t they absolve Grease, too?
I’m back!
[moderating]
I don’t think there’s really a GQ answer to this (other than what’s already been given), so I’m moving it over to MPSIMS for further discussion.
[/moderating]
Even if you can save just one turkey, it’s a good thing.
Oh, I thought this was going to be about Nixon… nevermind.
To get a pardon, don’t you have to be convicted of a crime?
‘You are convicted of being a turkey!’
‘I expected that from this kangaroo court, pig!’
She criticized his apartment, so he knocked her flat?
Did they waterboard the turkey to get a confession? How do we know that it’s not just some random innocent turkey they’re railroading?