FLORENCE, South Carolina — In response to concerns about his old age, Biden, 76, suggested that he might not seek a second term if he is elected president.
“I feel good, and all I can say is, watch me, you’ll see,” Biden told the Associated Press on Saturday whether he would pledge to serve just one term. “It doesn’t mean I would run a second term. I’m not going to make that judgment at this moment.”
If elected, Biden would be 78 when he takes office and the oldest president in history. Ronald Reagan, the current record-holder, was 77 when he left office in 1989.
Biden in April also declined to commit to serving only one term but took a different tone, suggesting that a determination about re-election would be up to voters rather than himself. “That’s all for you to decide, not for me to decide,” he said.
Many voters see Biden’s old age as a negative and look for a fresh face to lead the party. The former vice president maintains that the concerns are valid.
“Right now, it’s a legitimate question to ask, just like it was legitimate to ask me when I was 29 years old running for the Senate, did I have enough judgment to be a senator,” Biden said. “Right now, my age has brought with it a significant amount of experience in government and hopefully wisdom and some sound judgment.”
While some voters worry about Biden’s age, his supporters see his experience as an asset.
“We need someone who’s experienced, who’s measured, who’s thoughtful, and who represents decent values,” Jo Etta Chewing, a retired teacher, told the Washington Examiner at a Biden town hall in Florence on Saturday. “It’s like America was a puzzle that someone took and threw on the floor and broke all the pieces apart, and what we need is someone who knows where those pieces go and how to put them back together again.”
The two other highest-polling Democratic presidential candidates are also in their 70s. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is 70. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 76, suffered a heart attack at the beginning of October.
Little is known about Biden’s current state of health. He last disclosed his medical history in 2008, but he has promised to release medical records before the Iowa Democratic caucuses in February. In September, Biden’s eye filled with blood during a CNN climate town hall, prompting speculation about his health.
