As someone with a not-particularly-good memory I feel considerable sympathy for other people with not-good memories, but how the hell do you make a mistake like this?
A spokesman for Jeb Bush’s campaign told BuzzFeed News on Monday that Bush had “mistaken and conflated” his story about receiving the National Rifle Association’s “statesman of the year” award.
The former Florida governor has told the story on several occasions, saying he received a rifle from then-NRA president Charlton Heston and was the recipient of the group’s “statesman of the year” honor in 2003.
The real story is that he was once given a rifle by the NRA for serving as their keynote speaker, but it wasn't given to him by Heston, and that he couldn't have gotten a "statesman of the year" award from the NRA because the NRA proper doesn't have such a thing.
Now the Bush campaign is sheepishly admitting both of those things, but that's a curious thing to be "mistaken" about.
Perhaps he dreamed it? I would certainly believe that Jeb Bush dreams of Charlton Heston giving him awards and guns when he goes to bed at night. That seems very Jeb Bush.
But this incident, too, is the mark of a professional politician. See, the inexperienced Dr. Ben Carson "remembers" old stories too, but they're about Dr. Ben Carson stabbing people and Dr. Ben Carson directing armed robbers to the person behind the cash register, neither of which is particularly a glowing portrayal of Dr. Ben Carson. Professional politician Jeb Bush "remembers" Charlton Heston giving him imaginary awards, which sounds considerably more impressive.
Even if it didn't happen.