Joe Biden had a terrible night during the presidential debate. He looked wooden while walking, his stutter was the most pronounced that I’ve seen, his smile was frozen, he looked like a deer in the headlights at his podium, he got lost in answers, missed many opportunities for rebuttal, missed many opportunities to present the positives of his work and the key issues that will/might propel his campaign (including health care, abortion policy, all the infrastructure and jobs work), and allowed Trump to project “strength” while he looked “weak.”

He looked like he was either sick or recovering from sickness. Not good for him, for his party, or for the country.

OK. What does it mean? But first, the debate format was ridiculous. Maybe it’s always been so. But the moderators, by previous agreement it seems, did not intervene when lies were told or when questions were ducked (until very late). The time for “answers” to the most complex and troubling problems facing our country, the world, and the planet was totally inadequate. Presenting a series of important questions to be answered in sound bites makes no sense unless you are trying to produce misleading memes for use in campaigns and advertising (wait for it).

They/we should never have agreed to this format. If we really want to have the candidates talk about important issues, then we need single-issue focused “debates” with real time for consideration and answers and moderated by folks who can go in depth on checking facts and have expertise in the area under discussion.

Many people will use the “performances” at the debate as a reason to vote for Trump. But is performance at the debate a good proxy for the president’s job? I don’t think so. It’s become an easy (and totally inappropriate) way to judge candidates. It has little to do with leadership and competence in one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

Presidents pick people for key positions. They take counsel from smart, knowledgeable, and experienced people. They “hire” Cabinet secretaries with real expertise in their areas. They use history as a guide and make decisions based on current intelligence and “best evidence,” along with the knowledge of what’s possible.

Debates such as this are no indication of how a president will use his people and decision-making processes. Even in severe crises, a president is never alone in information-gathering or in creating options. The quality of his people are important. His/her values get applied to these options in real time before a course of action is taken.

So whom would you rather have? A serial liar and narcissist who surrounds himself with criminals, white supremacists, liars, conspiracy theorists, yes-men, incompetents, and hucksters (horse tranquilizers and bleach, anyone)? Or someone who may stutter and get lost for moments but with years of experience and wisdom, who surrounds himself with younger and older competent, serious, dedicated people who tell the truth and take enough time to study alternatives to present for decisions?

If we seriously think that there is evidence that Biden is showing signs of illness or dementia, then competent medical examination and appropriate cognitive tests could be done. Trump says he “aced” his cognitive tests. I doubt that they were tests that were determinative of his mental status or his actual cognitive abilities.

About Trump at the debate. He might have appeared that he was not demented. But the problem with Trump (and many of his supporters) is not his cognitive ability. It’s his (their) monstrous values and totally flawed character. They want to take us back to when the white man ruled, when “the church” was the only real institution, and when disagreement with the king was punished by banishment or worse.

The “debate” was typical Trump but at a lower volume. He doesn’t just lie, he makes up stuff, presents it as a reality and doesn’t care about facts (alternative or otherwise). Maybe he believes the stuff he makes up. That would be delusional. Maybe he doesn’t believe his stuff. That just cements his sociopathic status. There is no more to be said about him so I’ll stop there.

There is more to be said about his sycophants and what’s left of the opposition party. Stop it! Grow up! Those of you who know better, now is your time to really get with God and come out of your closet of darkness and speak about what you know to be true. Just the beginning.

Let’s give this a little time and hope that Joe and the Democrats can show us all something better very soon.Whatever happens, their record still stands. It’s something to be proud of and deserves to be trumpeted. Drop the tiki torches and “let the truth go marching on.”

Joel A. Feinman lives in Leverett.