biden certainly looked awful, but i want to remind people that he wasn't that different 20 years ago. even then he frequently trailed off. i actually think this is a tactic to stop talking when he doesn't want to talk. it's a bad tactic, but he's been doing it so long that it appears to be intentional. i think he needs a new tactic, but i'd be hesitant to present it as evidence of cognitive decline, because he's always done that. he'd better stop, because if it didn't make him look senile then, it does now.
he frequently stumbled over words, but he has frequently publicized that he has a stutter.
yes, he looked and sounded awful, but that's what joe biden is normally like. i didn't see anything that suggested to me that he's lost control, even if there were moments that suggested he might not have much time left. my analysis would be that joe is still with us, but that he might not be in four years.
i have a different suggestion: the debate was at 21:00. that was probably past joe's bedtime. he was probably very sleepy.
i might advise that biden's team try to schedule debates earlier in the day, when the president can stay awake.