Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey’s unexpected endorsement of Barack Obama came after he’d previously stated he would remain neutral in the race. So why did he change his mind? Or, more interestingly, where? According to the Times, “a person close to Mr. Casey said that the Senator had traveled to Florida over Easter and that rain had forced him to stay inside and he began to think more seriously about an endorsement. 'He spent a lot of time thinking about it,' this person said, and he came to the conclusion that the race was 'too important' to remain on the sidelines.” So Casey went down to Florida to catch some rays, but, like many other disappointed spring breakers, was forced indoors by the nasty weather. And as we’ve learned from some of our favorite movies, such as Say Anything, rain is notorious for causing personal epiphanies.

We imagine Casey kneeling on a floral settee, staring forlornly out the window, tracing the raindrops with his tips of his liberal fingers. "Oh, if only I could be playing beach volleyball right now!" he thinks, turning up the Coldplay on his iPod. Pictures of Barack and Hillary float through his mind as he leans his forehead against the cool pane of glass. There’s Hillary, promising to help the working class. There’s Barack, with his inspiring speech on race. Casey goes outside to clear his head and walks aimlessly around his beach condo. He forgot his umbrella! But, no matter: He has more important things on his mind. He’ll get wet, Goddamn it! "This race is too important to miss out on," he thinks, hands buried deep in his pockets, Coldplay swelling. Suddenly he stops, looking up into the downpour. "It’s Barack! It’s been Barack all along!" And then Casey returned to his home state; without a tan, but with a new sense of purpose. —Emma Rosenblum

The Casey Endorsement [Caucus/NYT]