US President Biden sometimes seems frail. His opponents and especially his predecessor Trump use this to discredit "Sleepy Joe". But a week before an important election, Biden turns up the heat - with a brilliant "P" on his socks from a rhetorical point of view.
Joe Biden is often ridiculed. When he's not running. Or not running at all and standing rooted to the spot on a stage. The fact that Biden will be 80 in less than a month does not stop political opponents, above all ex-President Donald Trump, from mocking him.
The titling "Sleepy Joe" is the epitome of this mockery. At the same time, "Sleepy Joe" is a good trick for his opponents from a rhetorical point of view. Because the term fits, is easy to remember and - even sympathizers of Joe Biden have to admit - has its justification every now and then.
A name like that - or the pictures that go with it - stick with you. Because as the media spectacle wants it to be, all those who take part are often reduced to one side of their appearance, their character, their way of life. With Biden, it's the frail side that gets most of the spotlight. But he can also be different.
For example, he is bursting with strength in Philadelphia these days as part of the election campaign for the upcoming important "midterm" elections.
"Oh God, I love Philly," he exclaims, to applause. "I love Philly so much I married a Philly girl."
"And you probably can't see it," Biden says, pulling up his pant leg to reveal Phillies athletic socks, "but I've got a -- we've had a good year -- the Phillies and the Eagles." One is a baseball team and the other is a Philadelphia football team.
Home color, professional sport, the legend of a love - Biden accommodates everything that is rhetorically good form in the USA. Because while voters in Germany have been raving about the Merkel diamond for years, the Americans have always been fans of the somewhat more energetic spectacle. Americans (in performances) like doers and not so much keepers.
Biden also uses his apparently good form of the day at the annual "Independence Dinner" of his party colleagues from Philadelphia to vehemently condemn the attack on the husband of his party colleague and US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in his speech.
"Enough is enough is enough!" shouts Biden, "Every person of good conscience must speak out clearly and unequivocally against the violence in our politics, regardless of what his or her politics are. All of us! All of us together, as Americans ."
Although there are many indications that the Democrats will lose their slim majority in the House of Representatives at the "midterms" on November 8th, Biden seems to be using this weekend for anything but sleeping.
The day after his sock performance, he shows himself with his youth, with his granddaughter Natalie. With this he makes use of the possibility of early voting. It is the first ballot for the 18-year-old. Something special. Her grandfather put an "I Voted" sticker on her lapel. This sticker and the "P" for the "Phillies" on the socks are small symbols of a perfect rhetorical weekend for the 79-year-old.
