Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden is privately signaling to aides that he would only serve one term if he is elected president, according to Politico.

Whether or not Biden would publicly commit to only one term is another question, however, as Biden and his staff fear that such a commitment could weaken him politically. Ryan Lizza writes:

While the option of making a public pledge remains available, Biden has for now settled on an alternative strategy: quietly indicating that he will almost certainly not run for a second term while declining to make a promise that he and his advisers fear could turn him into a lame duck and sap him of his political capital.

According to four people who regularly talk to Biden, all of whom asked for anonymity to discuss internal campaign matters, it is virtually inconceivable that he will run for reelection in 2024, when he would be the first octogenarian president.

The flip side of those concerns is the possibility that a one-term pledge could allow Biden to capitalize on his perceived status as the most electable candidate and the one best-suited to challenge President Donald Trump, while laying the groundwork for a more progressive candidate to take over in 2024.

"This makes Biden a good transition figure," one unnamed adviser told Politico. "I'd love to have an election this year for the next generation of leaders, but if I have to wait four years [in order to] to get rid of Trump, I'm willing to do it."

The Democratic Party is split between those who favor a more liberal candidate like Sen. Bernie Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and those who fear those candidates are too radical to win a general election against an incumbent president presiding over a strong economy.

Biden, if elected, would be 78 years old at the time of his inauguration. President Donald Trump is currently 73 years old.

Although Biden has maintained a solid lead in the polls since launching his campaign, his numerous mistakes and apparent failures of memory have fueled concerns about whether Biden, at his age, is fit for the rigors of the presidency.