Why Biden can't afford to pardon the Thanksgiving Turkey.

I'm sorry, the bird goes.

President Biden’s Thanksgiving Dinner

Americans don’t like the economy because prices remain so much higher than they were when he took office.

By The Editorial Board, WSJ

Nov. 21, 2023 6:43 pm ET

Americans have much to be grateful for—even in a year marked by political division at home, wars abroad, and a cloudy economy. One thing they could probably do without, however, is a White House and media that keep telling them how happy they should be with Bidenomics. Let’s take a tour of the Thanksgiving table to understand.

The latest White House lecture is that inflation has fallen from 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.2% last month. But disinflation—inflation rising at a slower rate—isn’t the same as deflation, which is falling prices. Thanksgiving dinner prices are rising less fast than they did in the last two years, but they’re still rising.

Detailed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics makes the point. Start with the bird. The price index for poultry items that includes turkey is up nearly 30% compared to November 2020. Turkeys may not be able to soar but their prices can.

Prices for the potatoes grandma uses for her trademark mash: up more than 12% since Thanksgiving 2020. Uncle Fred is bringing the rolls, and those prices are up about 27% from three years ago, while the butter to spread on them has risen 25%.

If you’re a cornbread family, prices in the category including corn meal have risen some 20%. At least the green beans in your niece’s casserole are only 8% more expensive, but canned fruits like cranberry sauce are up 23%. When your brother and sister-in-law bring the pecan pie, they’ll discover the price of a refrigerated or frozen bakery dessert has risen nearly 30%.

Speaking of getting things, your family and friends may need to travel for dinner. The regular unleaded gasoline they buy to fuel up on the way will be on average 70% more expensive than it was three years ago. You might hear an earful about how Aunt Janice paid 20% more for the used car she bought last month than her neighbor Bill paid for his in 2020.

Some family members, especially younger ones, may be feeling the pinch as inflation-adjusted weekly earnings have fallen roughly 5% during the same span. Earnings haven’t come close to catching up with inflation’s increase since 2021. Amid all this, Mr. Biden’s low approval ratings are the least mysterious mystery in recent memory.

Hundreds of millions of Americans this week will celebrate a happy, grateful, politics-free holiday. Their generous spirit will help focus on the joys money can’t buy; family memories and touch football are still free. But they may well remember their holiday grocery bill when they vote next year. No one should claim to be surprised if they do.