With Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton currently making well-earned waves on the Democratic side of the forthcoming 2016 election, the chatter surrounding a possible Joe Biden candidacy has officially reached a full-blown fever pitch. President Barack Obama reportedly gifted Biden with a cosign last month over lunch, effectively kicking the Biden 2016 hype into overdrive.

During a speaking engagement at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta on Thursday, Biden directly addressed a possible presidential run after taking questions from the audience. "If I can reach the conclusion that we can still do it in a fashion that would still make it viable, I would not hesitate to do it," Biden told the audience. "I will be straightforward with you. The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run.'

Biden's statements in Atlanta are his first public remarks on a possible presidential run, following a particularly difficult year for the vice president after the death of his son Beau Biden. Many have speculated that Biden's decision for or against entering the presidential race will hinge entirely on that loss, a speculation somewhat supported by Biden's most recent remarks.

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