I'm not 100 percent sure I buy the "this was the worst debate ever" framing. Biden wasn't especially sharp, particularly in the first 30 minutes of the debate. But he was ... fine. He wasn't the guy who was constantly interrupting, or who refused to commit to respecting the results of the election, or who ducked the question when he was asked to denounce white supremacy. And he wasn't the guy who needed a win, since he's ahead in the polls.