Schale, a top Democratic strategist in the key swing state of Florida and a veteran of President Barack Obama's campaigns, got to emailing back and forth with one of the story's authors, Jonathan Martin. He soon said he was "Ready for Joe."

"I'm not making some grand political calculation," Schale told Business Insider in a phone interview last week. "I have a very nice life in Florida. I'm not looking to move to Washington or work on a presidential campaign. I just like the guy, and I think if he runs, it'd be exciting to be a part of."

Schale's journey illustrates the complexities of a potential Biden candidacy, the possibilities of which have grown incrementally over the past few weeks. Biden's name has been floated increasingly as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in 2016, continues to face a flurry of controversy over her use of a private email server during her time in the State Department.