The show and late night comedians have often made fun of McCain, who would be 72 when taking office. On Saturday night, the senator showed that he has a sense of humor about the jokes.

“I ask you, what should we be looking for in our next president?" McCain said in a fake campaign message. “Certainly someone who is very, very, very old.”

Later he joked about his great-great-great-grandchildren and said he had the “oldness” that is necessary to lead the country.

McCain also poked fun at his reputation as a crusader against earmarks.

As a result of not securing federal funds for such necessities as roads and post offices, McCain said, residents of Arizona now have fewer highways and are sometimes forced to go out of state to send letters.