Pardoned Turkeys Receive the Facebook Treatment
Friend them, like them, but please don't poke them.
The White House is rolling out the social media red carpet for this year's presidential turkeys.
For the first time in history, the turkeys for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation are receiving the Facebook treatment with their very own page.
Aside from their online spotlight, this year's birds are vying for your vote this Thanksgiving. For the first time, Americans cast their vote for their favorite turkey.
Affectionately named Gobbler and Cobbler, each bird comes from Rockingham Country, Virginia.
Gobbler tips the scales at 43 pounds and describes his gobble as rare but loud. What he prefers at the dinner table, corn, of course.
And his opponent Cobbler weighs just over 40 pounds. His walk is described as a "strut" and he enjoys snacking on cranberries.
Votes closed earlier on Tuesday but the winner will be announced Wednesday afternoon when President Obama will declare the 2012 National Thanksgiving Turkey.
Regardless of the outcome, both birds will head to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens where they'll live comfortably.
The tradition of pardoning turkeys at Thanksgiving is a time-honored event which first began in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy became the first president to "pardon" a turkey at the White House. Since then the tradition has been named the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.
But this year's pardon is not all fun and games. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, more commonly known as PETA, is encouraging President Obama to pardon all turkeys.