Former Vice President Joe Biden didn't offer his best debate performance Thursday, according to former DNC chair Ed Rendell, who also dismissed Rep. Eric Swalwell's, D-Calif. critiques about the former senator's age.
Biden also has more crossover appeal than many of the other 2020 Democratic contenders, Rendell claimed Friday on "Outnumbered Overtime."
"It wasn't his best performance by any means," he said.
"But look, it's a long way to Iowa. There are going to be eight or ten debates."
DEM DEBATE: SWALWELL ZINGS BIDEN ON HIS AGE, CALLS ON HIM TO 'PASS THE TORCH'
The former DNC chairman added that former President Ronald Reagan did not look sharp during his first bout with then-Sen. Walter Mondale, D-Minn. in 1984.
"Remember, Ronald Reagan looked like a guy who had lost his intellectual balance in the first debate against Walter Mondale," Rendell claimed.
"He cured that in the second debate, and as I recall he won 49 states. So don't take one debate and necessarily write someone off.
"Joe Biden's views are not only in line with the majority of Democratic voters, but they are also in line with independents and some Republicans, as well."
Turning to Swalwell's performance, Rendell claimed the 38-year-old northern California lawmaker worked admirably to express his platform, but missed the mark in his critique of Biden.
"I think Eric Swalwell is trying to make the case as best he can for his candidacy," the former Pennsylvania governor and ex-Philadelphia mayor claimed.
"But, people are judged by who they are, what they believe in, and what they've done, what they are capable of doing. That's true for African-Americans, Latinos, LGBT, the white candidates... Is Pete Buttigieg too young to run? No.
"I think Eric Swalwell is way off base... particularly considering I belong to the biggest voting bloc in the election."
Swalwell criticized Biden Thursday, asking him to "pass the torch," in reference to a similar remark the then-Delaware senator made during a previous run for president.
“I was six years old when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic Convention and said ‘it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans.’ That candidate was then-Senator Joe Biden,” Swalwell said.
“Joe Biden was right 32 years ago, and he’s still right today.”
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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