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Friday, January 28, 2022

Thanksgiving Flashback: Witnessing The Turkey Pardoning Debacle of 2008

by Linda Kellen Biegel

So my rolls are rising on the stove, almost ready to pop in the oven. The apple-cranberry pies (think Dutch Apple with cranberries thrown in) are cooled and waiting to be packed up and the homemade cranberry sauce is chilling in the fridge. We’re going to Josh’s brother’s house for Thanksgiving and Josh’s parents made the trecherous drive in the rain and ice from the Kenai Peninsula. Thanksgiving dinner for 22–that’s small for a Biegel meal!

When I saw an ad for the Triple-D Farm and Hatchery in Wasilla the other day, I had two thoughts: First, the turkey I bought from there was the best dang turkey I’d EVER eaten in my entire life, bar none. The second, of course, was my fateful trip to that farm November 20, 2008 to witness then-Governor Sarah Palin’s “turkey pardoning.”

That day lives in infamy… as does the fallout

The media.

Kris Perry and Sarah Palin walking away (and trying to ignore me)…ahhhh, memories.

There are no words for this picture.

Here is the pardoned turkey.

Here are the ones who weren’t so lucky.

Reflecting on this two years later, several things are clear.

–Sarah only smiled while the video cameras were rolling.
–Her entire energy was way off, I believe, because she thought there should be a media throng there hanging on her every word.
–She came off the campaign trail and became an attention junky jonesing for a fix. The pardoning was supposed to be some kind of “maintenance high” to try and regain a little of that feeling. It worked, but not in the way I believe was intended.

This particular event brought me to the conclusion that Palin doesn’t care what kind of attention she gets, as long as she gets attention.

We aren’t going to get any kind of break between elections. Once her book tour is over, her next step will be to announce her candidacy. It’s going to be really interesting to see what debacle may top this one.

Since I refuse to make “The Palin…it burns” the extent of my Thanksgiving wish for you, I will leave you with what I consider to be the funniest Thanksgiving episode of any American sitcom before or since. This is from the classic comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati.” (For those of you who saw Keith Olbermann’s show yesterday, his last comment came from this episode.)

I hope you guys all have a great Turkey Day!

Comments

comments

Comments
24 Responses to “Thanksgiving Flashback: Witnessing The Turkey Pardoning Debacle of 2008”
  1. TapRoot Tony says:

    Can a turkey pardon a turkey???

  2. GoI3ig says:

    This clip was on “world’s dumbest” on cable tonight. I guess she believes there is no such thing as bad press.

  3. nswfm says:

    Just read this now.

    At Thanksgiving dinner, Mom said, “Palin is like a bratty high school cheerleader who always has to be the center of attention. As a substitute, I saw a lot of them, but couldn’t do anything since I wasn’t their teacher.”

    I hope Alaskans in the know don’t let Linda’s prediction come true.

  4. Thanks for the memories
    The rattling of the blade,
    The death throes of the Toms,
    The hapless, senseless comments,
    To us she always bombs,
    So much to recall….

    ………..and I can’t remember, enough of how it goes, to really give a lyric that captures all we know…so I will end here….

    Happy Tgiving Linda, and thanks to AKM and even to Sarah for helping us all find each other and having a great time in the mudflats, where we may often be frustrated and fuss about the state of the world, but where we also have fun and make great friends around the world. May we always have enduring friendships built on happy alliances.

  5. LibertyLover says:

    I miss WKRP. So much fun!

  6. I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Ours was, though we had a much smaller number than usual. One was recovering from surgery and two were still cleaning up from the storm. The house still has all those yummy Thanksgiving Day smells.

    Linda, I couldn’t watch the video of turkeygate – once was enough. But I loved the WKRP one. I loved that show, but I don’t remember seeing that episode. LOL

  7. michigander says:

    I do like the cranberries tossed into the Dutch Apple pie – sorry for being so negative (o:

    For Christmas I am already making true mincemeat pie for my Dad, haven’t in years. Dutch Apple Cranberry and a real pumpkin pie will perfect it.

    I want cranapple muffins right now! Happy Day and thanks Linda (o:

  8. marlys says:

    Happy Thanksgiving Linda, thanx for the gobblegate pix. I bet we will be seeing more of the video next year.

    This year, our family is raising a glass to the fed’s protection of polar bears. Hurray:)
    http://www.adn.com/2010/11/24/1570909/feds-ok-critical-habitat-in-alaska.html

  9. michigander says:

    It’s just not funny anymore.

    Michigan new Corporate Outsider Rep. Gov.Rick Shnyder is dissing the Lansing Gov. Mansion which was updated at taxpayers expense because he wants to stay in Ann Arbor. He doesn’t want to change his childrens school district. He wants and deserves full security. He said his compensation for travel will be discussed in the future.Some people were not pleased but the police department said they are fully equipped (even though they have been cut back) and have the backing of the FBI to protect him.

    All that is clear right now is taxpayers have to pay for 2 mansions security – his Ann Arbor home is even bigger. Teaparty people has not decided whether to continue backing him now that we are stuck with him. Cut off your nose to spite your face idiots. Thanks for screwing us all.

    Sound familiar?

    • leenie17 says:

      Perhaps other states might make it a requirement that all candidates for governor promise to relocate to the governor’s mansion during their term. Why do these governors think they’re so much more special than everyone else?

      When you accept a job in a particular place, you can’t suddenly tell your new boss AFTER you’ve been hired, “Sorry, I decided to live somewhere else. Now provide security, transportation and per diem expenses so I can live where I want to live.” You certainly wouldn’t have THAT job for very long!

    • Do some of these people even think of what is expected of them if they are elected? Apparently not. What would be fair is that if the governor doesn’t want to live where he or she is supposed to, then they can pay the additonal costs of housing, security and all the rest.

    • fishingmamma says:

      Well, you can hope that he will quit halfway through his term.

  10. igettit2 says:

    I’m starting to hope that the Worst Gov Ever’s turkey video will become a yearly re-run -UNTIL SHE DISAPPEARS – which can’t come soon enough for me.

    Seriously, I do give thanks for all that the Alaska Bloggers have done (and suffered) to bring Palin’s stupidity and dishonesty to light.

    • Man_from_Unk says:

      Does anyone know if Dr. Phil asked the Palins to be on his show yet – Sarah and her girls can flip everybody the bird as a momma grizzley chases them off the stage.

  11. LA Brian says:

    Happy Thanksgiving, Linda & fellow mudflatters.

  12. BeeJay says:

    Linda, that WKRP clip made my day. Thank you so very much!

    As for SP, perhaps the turkeys could make a counterattack?

  13. Hope says:

    Oh the good old days of turkey coverage. Wish it were this way today,
    Now we just see the turkey * every day * and also…

  14. Happy Thanksgiving to all MudPups and families from icy Ioway.The pardoned turkey has a little Red Cross on its beak. Was that intentional? I had a turkey and it was an old veteran on the farm where I live for almost a dozen years. He got coyote ate or something last January and was the last link to my ex-Father-in Law who owned this farm until his death a year ago in February. I need a new turkey .but not just any one will do. I stayed home and didn’t partake of any turkey on Turkey Day so I won’t appear to be overly hypocritical when I get another bird. Won’t be for eating. Be like a mascot like Brian.

    • bubbles says:

      that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever gotten for Brian i think. i can imagine Brian strolling down the road with his friend Mr. Turkey.

  15. merrycricket says:

    Gryphen has the tv version of the video and interestingly enough, she seems to be shying away from the turkey. I thought she was a brave, experienced outdoors woman. What’s up with that?

  16. BuffaloGal says:

    I’ve never been able to bring myself to watch the video clip but the story does make me laugh, from a dark humor sort of place. Certainly falls under the category of ” ya just can’t make this stuff up ” The SNL writers of the golden years would have been overjoyed with the gold mine of inspiration that the Palins provide daily.

  17. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    Linda, thanks for the funny memories! Have a lovely day enveloped in your big family!

  18. twain12 says:

    have a great Thangsgiving Linda

  19. Xenon says:

    Kind of a metaphor for America should the “anointed one” get into office.