This is the start of the season where left wing journalists try to make their bones by reporting or, in the case of George H. W. Bush and the supermarket scanner, creating out of whole cloth potentially campaign-ending verbal gaffes. For all the strengths of the family, the Bushes have never been known as eloquent speakers. Since the left mistakes glib for smart (see Obama, Barack; Gore, Al; etc.) this makes for the perennial [first name here] Bush is dumb story.

The latest iteration of this happened today in South Carolina. Bush was speaking on the subject of why additional gun control laws are not a solution to shootings such as those that happened in Oregon yesterday.

Just watched a feed of the Jeb “stuff happens” remark. Verbate: pic.twitter.com/rempF9HJz2

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) October 2, 2015

Pretty weak and insubstantial stuff, right? That is until the left wing fiction machine cranks up;

Lots of drama at Bush press avail in South Carolina over “stuff happens” quote

— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) October 2, 2015

Lizza is one of the trust fund types who inhabit political journalism on the left; the type, as the old saying goes, who was born on third base and imagines that they have hit a triple. He has never done anything but somehow his writing about what others are doing makes him an authority. Go figure, right? His work has been even praised by Brian Williams. What he is doing here is trying to manufacture a damaging quote in a dishonest and inflammatory way. That is how left wing journalists make their reputation (see Rather, Dan).

One or two presidential elections ago, this type of crap would have become part of the political landscape. In an earlier era, by Monday, the story would be that Bush just didn’t care about the killings. Now, thanks to the internet, Lizza is running away from his bullsh** narrative much like a scalded dog.

But this episode points to a larger problem. A politician can get by when they say outrageous stuff, like any given day with Trump, or if they muff (can I even use that word these days?) a fact. But phrases and actions that indicate you are either out of touch or uninformed will live with you forever.

Bush is not a candidate I’d even consider supporting. I feel about him as many of my colleagues feel about Trump. Having said that I have no intention of letting a guy get slimed by a left wing hack. At the same time, I have no intention of defending ill-conceived thing Bush will say during the course of the next year or so. This type of speech is sloppy, it is fine for a family barbecue but it is not acceptable from a candidate for president. If he can’t play the verbal game in the big leagues he needs to get out. Right now his lack of verbal discipline and really his lack of communications ability indicate he simply can’t play the game at this level.