Every time we think that the Republican Presidential race can’t get any stranger, something happens that makes us laugh out loud.
Clueless candidate John Kasich was in New York last week ahead of the upcoming primary. He was apparently in search of some Jewish votes, because according to a report on RawStory, he took the time to tour a matzo factory and a Jewish bookstore.
He then stopped on the sidewalk, in a crowd of Hasidic Jews, and decided that it was a good time to comment on the importance of the Jewish holiday of Passover. This holiday commemorates the Old Testament story of the Jewish people in Egypt, marking their door posts with the blood of sacrificed lambs, so that the Angel of Death would spare them when it passed.
Kasich thought, for some odd reason, that it made sense to give the crowd a lesson on misunderstanding the Bible. As he stood there smiling, he commented on the story of Passover by saying:
“It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community – the Passover. The great link between the blood that was put above the lamp posts, the blood of the lamb, because Jesus Christ is known as the lamb of God. It’s his blood, we believe…”
Wait. Lamp posts? In ancient Egypt?
Wait again. The blood of Christ is what Kasich believes was put on the doors of the Jews in Egypt? Hundreds of years before Jesus was supposed to have been born?
Uriel Heilman, senior writer for the Jewish Telegraph Agency, wrote a scathing article about the awkward visit. In it, he said,
“Yes, Jews are known to love The Passover, almost as much they love The Pre-Election Drop-By from vote-seeking politicians.”
In what was by all accounts a completely cringe-worthy day in New York, Kasich ended his conversation by asking the crowd to “Pray for me.”
Somehow, I’m not sure that would help.
Watch the entire debacle here:
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
