President Obama cracked a joke about New York Times polling guru Nate Silver at a White House turkey pardon ceremony on Wednesday.
Americans were invited to choose via a Facebook poll which of two birds — Gobbler or Cobbler — should be pardoned and named the official National Thanksgiving Turkey for 2012 on Tuesday (neither will be killed and both will reside at a livestock enclosure at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens). Obama announced Cobbler the winner, invoking Silver, whose model correctly predicted the electoral results in 50 out of 50 states on November 6th.
“Once again Nate Silver nailed it,” Obama joked, before gesturing a cross over the turkey and completing the pardon. “The guy is amazing.”
Watch video of the pardon below:
Correction: Nate Silver’s mathematical model correctly predicted 2012 electoral results in 50 out of 50 states, not 49 out of 50 as previously reported. We regret the error.