Everything with the debate and Joe being his normal self all went according to plan. Joe's handlers purposely schedule the debate 2 weeks before the DNC convention (which has never happened in history), but Joe was not "officially" deemed the Presidential candidate at that time. His handlers purposely didn't juice him up with his "dark Brandon" drug cocktail knowing he would stammer, trail off and wander off the stage. At the end of the debate, when the cameras were panning away, Joe had to be helped off the stage by Jill. The Left got to see Joe's condition the way the Right has seen him all along.