Addressing age issue, McCain says he may seek only one term
PEMBROKE, N.H. - John McCain is 71 years old, but the issue of his age comes up only occasionally on the campaign trail. So it was striking when at Pembroke Academy yesterday, a woman asked whether McCain had the stamina to serve as president for eight years.
McCain responded by leaving open the possibility that, if he is elected, he might not seek reelection. "If I said I was running for eight years, I'm not sure that would be a vote-getter," McCain said.
Asked in a press conference to elaborate, McCain said that every president evaluates his progress after two or three years and that he would be no different.
Although no candidate wants to suggest he or she is looking past the upcoming election, McCain's response fell into a different category because it suggested that a focus on his age might hurt him politically. If McCain wins, he would be the oldest person ever inaugurated to a first term as president. Ronald Reagan was 69 when he took office for his first term in 1981.
McCain at times likes to joke about his age, saying, "I am older than dirt and have more scars than Frankenstein." Yesterday, he reminded voters about his vigorous 95-year-old mother, who he said "shows how good my genes are."
"My health is good, my campaign schedule is heavier than anybody else's, and I've said many times I can out-campaign anybody," McCain said. "I think the decision as to whether to run for reelection has to do with the circumstances at the time. I really do. You shouldn't run for eight years, because then you think you've got eight years to get these things done."
McCain was badly beaten during his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and he has suffered from melanoma, a skin cancer. He has had surgery to remove the melanoma from his face.
His campaign says he is now in excellent health. During conversations on his campaign bus last weekend, McCain noted that he can't ski because of a bad knee, which was injured when he was shot down over Vietnam, but he said he is otherwise active.
McCain's performance on the campaign trail leaves no doubt that he remains a vigorous candidate. He often starts campaigning early in the morning, spends hours on his bus talking with reporters, and attends several town meetings, where he is on his feet at each appearance.
McCain's relentless campaigning has paid off in New Hampshire. He has surged from back in the pack in the polls. A new CNN/WMUR poll indicates McCain is tied with longtime front-runner Mitt Romney at 29 percent, with Rudy Giuliani in third with 12 percent, a week before Tuesday's primary.
Later yesterday, on the eve of today's caucuses, McCain campaigned in Iowa, where a Des Moines Register poll published Tuesday showed him tied for third place with Fred Thompson, behind Mike Huckabee and Romney. McCain plans to return to New Hampshire tomorrow.
Asked yesterday whether he has to win New Hampshire, McCain said he needs to win the expectations game. He said a second-place win could be perceived as a win if the media focus on his comeback from last summer, when his campaign was declared all but dead by some analysts.
Michael Kranish can be reached at kranish@globe.com. 