Memories: When the Press Failed to Recognize a Real Turkey

Well, there are a lot of instances from which to choose, but one stands out, considering the day upcoming.

On Thanksgiving Day 2003, then-President George W. Bush ducked the press and surprised the troops in Iraq with a personal visit. Recordings of the visit were given to the press only after the president had left Iraq.

In the photo, GWB was holding a real turkey, but the press, most of whom had never eaten a meal in a military dining facility on a holiday, assumed that the turkey was plastic.

For a long time, it was called Bush's "fake turkey moment" because it was the best lie that the leftist press could come up with to tarnish his bonding moment with the troops and public relations/OPSEC coup.

And the funniest thing about the lie is that whenever someone repeated it, he/she was automatically outed as a parrot.  In military dining facilities when a holiday turkey is being served, there are always two birds: a display turkey and the turkey being served. The turkey being served--often by senior officers and NCOs--is already sliced up and ready to be eaten.

But all of the turkeys are always real. The display turkey will be leftovers for the next day--just like at home.

Ah, if only the press confined its lies to turkey composition.

But that should tell everyone how easy it is to pull the wool over many million sets of eyes regarding any topic.

Happy Thanksgiving Day.

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