The 2016 presidential candidates and how they're spending Thanksgiving
The presidential candidates are getting away for Thanksgiving, and while a few found some time to practice the presidential duty of pardoning a turkey, they're mostly spending the holidays with their families.
Here's a video, courtesy of IJ.com, that shows three candidates showing just how they'd pardon a turkey:
And here's what some of the 2016 presidential hopefuls are doing this Thanksgiving:
Jeb Bush:
In a radio hit in New Hampshire Wednesday, Bush told "New Hampshire Today" host Jack Heath, "We're all gathering up my immediate family, my in-laws, my three children, two daughters in law and grandkids we're all getting together and have a thanksgiving dinner in Miami." He'll deviate from the Paleo diet that's enabled him to lose about 40 pounds. Bush said, "The key to that [dinner] is chipotle stuffing, which breaks my Paleo diet, but I love it. We're going to have fun watching football and having a great gathering."
In South Carolina Tuesday, he told reporters this Thanksgiving, he's thankful "for my four unbelievably near perfect grandchildren, and an adorable wife. And children who have given me only pride. And the two greatest daughter-in-laws I could ever imagine. And a mother-in-law that is 94 years old and going strong." He then paused and declared, "I'm blessed."
Ben Carson:
He'll be "spending the Holiday with his entire family in Baltimore with traditional Thanksgiving fare," according to his campaign.
Hillary Clinton:
In a Facebook chat this week, Clinton wrote, "I will be at home in New York with my family, including my wonderful granddaughter, and about 30 of my daughter's friends, whom we traditionally host for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to too much food and great conversation. -H"
On "Live! With Kelly and Michael" last week, Clinton talked about how Thanksgiving in her household has evolved. About 15 years ago, she told host Kelly Ripa, "[W]e began to invite a lot of Chelsea's friends who were foreigners and they had never heard of Thanksgiving and didn't know anything about it. And then we started to invite more young Americans who were her friends who couldn't go home -- their work didn't let them -- whatever the reason would be. So we have about 30 people, and they are from all over the world, plus all over America. And some of them we see during the year, but a lot of them we only see once a year in Thanksgiving. We have just the greatest extended family experience and now they're coming back with their children, and so, it just is a special time."
Carly Fiorina:
She told CBS News, "I love to cook and Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to cook and I get out my favorite china and cook and cook and cook, and the family comes over and we eat and eat and eat."
One of her favorite recipes came from her mother: "I make a great cranberry sauce -- it's got a little bit of single malt whiskey in it -- which gives it a little kick -- and some hot pepper, a little hot mustard, a little curry, orange, raisins, cranberries -- it's really yummy."
Lindsey Graham:
Thanksgiving means open hunting season to Lindsey Graham, he told CBS News. "I would go up and go hunting with my dad, and I still actually do that - haven't been in a couple of years." Asked whether he cooks anything himself on Thanksgiving, Graham scoffed, "Me cooking? No, I love my family too much...I love me too much" to cook. He added, "No, I don't cook but I am a great eater." Even the can opener poses a hazard. "I can't even open up a can," Graham joked. "If I tried to open up a can, I'd open up my finger. Other than that, I'm a great cook."
Mike Huckabee:
He's probably having the least fun this Thanksgiving, thanks to his knee surgery Wednesday. Huckabee will still be able to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Little Rock, however. "His favorite food is fried turkey and he looks forward to making that and spending time with his five precious grandchildren," a campaign spokesperson said. But according to ABC News, Huckabee's son will be manning the turkey fryer this year, because of Huckabee's surgery.
John Kasich:
Kasich said his family often hosts friends, "We basically have a mom and three daughters that join our family because they lost their dad. We have them every Thanksgiving. And we've seen them do so much better over the years, so I'm looking forward to that."
He's "thankful for my family, my health, for the chance to be able out use the talents that I've been given."
Kasich has some other plans, too."I'm going to play golf," he said.
Martin O'Malley:
"The longest running family tradition we have is my wife inviting as many people as possible over for Thanksgiving," O'Malley said, in a brief interview with CBS News. "So it's great. It'll be be very crowded. We'll probably have 20, 30 assorted Currans and O'Malleys....Our tradition is family and bringing everybody we can together and friends. And that's what I think we're always most thankful for."
This is the first Thanksgiving since 2007 that O'Malley won't be spending in the state residence, since he was Maryland governor until mid-January, and he said, "This might be the first time in a while I've been able to cook. I used to be in the state residence so I don't have a tradition of cooking but I can."
Rand Paul:
His campaign said briefly that he'll have Thanksgiving dinner in Kentucky, and he "takes great pride in cooking the turkey himself."
Bernie Sanders:
Sanders' wife Jane says that two of their children and their families, and a niece and her family will join them at home in Burlington, Vermont.
"We'll have Vermont turkey, venison sausage and cherry stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce, sweet potato au gratin, roasted squash and brussel sprouts, gravy, apple and pumpkin pies and Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream," according to Jane Sanders. And they'll play chess, Scrabble or Clue, and possibly play some baseball.
Donald Trump:
He's in Florida, though his plans for Thanksgiving were not released.
CBS News' Jacqueline Alemany, Kylie Atwood, Erica Brown, Sopan Deb, Reena Flores, Hannah Fraser-Chanpong, Sean Gallitz, Alan He and Rebecca Kaplan contributed to this report.