of y ▁Uncle ▁Joe — if ▁you ▁notice , ▁I ▁beat ▁every ▁Republican ▁in ▁every ▁poll ▁when ▁they ▁thought ▁I ▁was ▁running ▁[ in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ]. ▁You ▁notice ▁that ▁my ▁favor ability ▁was ▁higher ▁than ▁anybody ▁that ' s ▁running ▁for ▁office ▁in ▁either ▁party ." ▁While ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁direct ▁comment ▁on ▁The ▁On ion , ▁B iden ' s ▁image ▁as ▁" go of y ▁Uncle ▁Joe " ▁was ▁closely ▁associated ▁with , ▁and ▁influenced ▁by , ▁The ▁On ion . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁public ▁relations ▁strategy ▁According ▁to ▁several ▁academic ▁comment ators , ▁B iden ▁engaged ▁with ▁com edic ▁port ray als ▁of ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁relations ▁strategy . ▁Histor ian ▁Edward ▁L . ▁W id mer ▁said ▁B iden ' s ▁public ▁em brace ▁of ▁the ▁On ion ▁and ▁other ▁par od ies ▁helped ▁to ▁signal ▁his ▁sense ▁of ▁humor ▁and ▁show ▁" a ▁quality ▁of ▁human ity ." ▁Jo el ▁Gold stein , ▁a ▁law ▁professor ▁at ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁University , ▁said ▁he ▁believed ▁B iden ' s ▁re actions ▁were ▁likely ▁s inc ere ▁but , ▁even ▁if ▁B iden ▁actually ▁dis lik ed ▁the ▁character , ▁" the ▁worst ▁mistake ▁[ he ] ▁could ▁make ▁is ▁being ▁off ended ▁by ▁it ". ▁In ▁the ▁journal ▁Crit ical ▁Studies ▁in ▁Media ▁Communic ation , ▁Don ▁J . ▁W ais an en ▁and ▁Amy ▁B . ▁Be cker ▁wrote ▁that ▁B iden ▁respond ed ▁appro ving ly ▁to ▁com edic ▁port ray