As vice president, Joe Biden leaned in to the goofy “Uncle Joe” caricature of memes and satirical news stories. He wore aviators for the cameras while eating ice cream, and pointed and grinned behind President Barack Obama during nationally televised speeches.
But at a Democratic campaign rally Monday at the University of South Florida, the audience saw a different side of Biden. “Listen,” he said over and over when the crowd wanted to laugh or cheer. “This is not a joke.”