I read a quote attributed to Joe Biden shortly after he finished the debate Thursday night, something to the effect that it’s hard to debate a liar.  

True enough and Trump was totally on his game in that department during the debate, as the fact checkers let us all know. 

But that’s not really an acceptable excuse, is it? Biden confronted the same liar four years ago with far better results. 

Appearances count a lot in a televised presidential debate. They always have.

Remember the first TV debate — Kennedy Vs. Nixon? Or should I say the youthful-looking, ready-to-rumble Kennedy versus the sweaty-lipped, five-o'clock-shadowed Nixon? 

Kennedy cleaned Nixon’s clock. 

Thursday, Trump looked so relaxed and rested, and about 10 years younger than he actually is. That was no accident — he worked at it, or his handlers did.

Biden looked like he was dressed for a funeral — his own. Deathly pale, looking straight ahead most of the time with little animation in his facial expressions and body language. Based on appearance alone, I was almost ready to vote for Trump.  

Biden handlers, where have you been? Would a little bit of spray tan have hurt? Not a lot. Just enough to make him look, well, alive.  

And the voice. Some called it hoarse, from a cold. Really? No, that was Old Man Joe’s reedy old voice I heard last night. The same one I’ve been listening to for the past several years now.  

As people age, so do their voices. But there are things you can do, like drink gallons of water and exercise for the vocal cords (or folds, as the medical pros call them). No reediness in Trump’s voice last night. Probably because his handlers were on top of it.  

Even the stumbling, markedly worse than past debates, could have been addressed. They have coaches for that.  

Unless the dreaded C-word is in play here. Cognition. I hope not.