Full disclosure: I’m writing this coming off of the unmitigated dumpster fire that was the presidential debate held earlier tonight. The imbibing of spirits may be a contributing factor.

This debate was intended to be something different. Changed rules, a focus on the candidates, no nonsense cheering and impotent moderators. I was cautiously excited about how the debate might go, recalling the fictional debate held between Matt Santos and Arnold Vinick in The West Wing. A challenge from one candidate to the other, to have a real discussion on the issues, unfettered.

I acknowledge that this is the real world, and that this debate still had strict rules that are not exactly conducive to high-minded discourse. My concerns were on how well the rules could be enforced. Did I worry about how prepared the candidates would be? Of course not! This is the first, and quite possibly only debate of the election. It’s a chance for Trump to go toe-to-toe with Biden, and for Biden to address the man himself for the first time in four years. In terms of image, the political performance? This was the night of action.

Washington Post: “Biden struggles, Trump deflects questions.” The NY Times: “Biden Struggles as Trump Blusters in Contentious Debate.” Politico: “Biden is toast.”

I’m darkly applauding Politico’s choice to embrace brevity. I strive to avoid profanity in my blog posts because I want to articulate my thoughts, not just let them gush out willy-nilly. With that said, this debate was a fucking dumpster fire for Biden. For Trump? Business as usual. No one expected him to be coherent, or to even tell the truth. When he flatly denied having sex with a porn star, after being convicted on felony counts related to the covering up of said porn star tryst? Anyone surprised hasn’t been paying attention. That’s what he does! It’s his strategy!

So why did the Biden campaign decide to let him go out there mumbling, stumbling and at times nigh-inaudibly whispering his way through the debate is just beyond all comprehension. Were they asleep? Did somebody slip NyQuil into the punch at Camp David? Did they all fall and hit their head on something hard?

The danger in this election is people staying home, not people switching their vote from Biden to Trump or vice versa. People stay home when they don’t care, or when they feel like their vote doesn’t matter. They also stay home if they don’t like any of the options presented. Biden’s key to victory is convincing people who aren’t liberal political junkies to vote for him instead of staying home. Anecdote incoming: I have several friends who are in that group, and after the debate they may well be impossible to get to the polls in November unless SOTU Biden makes one hell of a comeback. Image matters, regardless if that’s a positive or negative for politics. Tonight, Trump won the image contest by default because Biden’s campaign prepped him for bed instead for battle.

I make no claims at being an expert, let alone a political advisor. But if I was in charge of staffing for Team Biden, the debate team? Out. Flat on their ass. Whoever decided to not announce he had a cold before the debate (and have Biden briefly mention it at the beginning, perhaps even while drinking a can of ‘Dark Brandon’s Private Reserve’)? Fired, then tarred and feathered. And if Biden himself made that call? Then take a cue from the can and get real, Jack.