Washington CNN  — 

Joe Biden expressed regret and pledged to rethink his definition of personal space on Wednesday afternoon amid the first major crisis of his (still unannounced) 2020 campaign.

Here’s the key bit, via a two-minute video of Biden talking that was tweeted from his account: 

“I’ve never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic, I’ve always thought it about connecting with people, as I said, shaking hands, hands on the shoulder, a hug, encouragement, and now, it’s all about taking selfies together. You know, social norms have begun to change, they’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it, I get it. I hear what they’re saying, I understand it, and I’ll be much more mindful, that’s my responsibility.”

That mea culpa of sorts will, Biden and his team hope, stop the bleeding on a story that has been percolating for the last week as several women have come forward – most notably former Nevada Democratic state legislator Lucy Flores – saying that Biden’s behavior around them (Flores said he kissed her on the top of the head and smelled her hair) made them feel uncomfortable.

The negative attention from the allegations badly complicates Biden’s plan to enter the 2020 race sometime later this month and immediately project an air of inevitability about his bid. And Biden’s initial statement failed to end the story.

So his campaign-in-waiting put forward what they believe to be their best asset: The former vice president himself. Dressed in a suit but without a tie, the goal was to portray Biden as serious if not alarmed – someone who understood the gravity of the situation, knew that times have changed and that he needed to change with them. The key line in Biden’s statement was this one: “I hear what they’re saying, I understand it, and I’ll be much more mindful.”

Flores responded to Biden’s comments on Wednesday afternoon, writing that while she was “glad” that he “acknowledges that he made women feel uncomfortable,” Biden still “hasn’t apologized.”

The Point: Biden’s decision to talk directly to the camera about these allegations and what they have taught him speaks to the danger he and his campaign see here. This is the sort of thing that, if it goes any more sideways, could inflict real damage on his 2020 prospects.