No pardon for these turkeys......
Shorpy.com is a wonderful museum of old archival photos, with instructive comments and well-informed discussion.
This picture, along with its comments, shows an
earlier Presidential turkey tradition. Local chambers of commerce sent two turkeys to the White House, and the turkeys were placed in a ring to fight. Both were eaten after spectators enjoyed the battle.
So Palin, accidentally or not, is closer to the
real American tradition.