Being "pot committed" is a useful poker concept that should be used more in non-poker contexts. It's especially useful at times like this, when we approach an election where one candidate is strongly favored to win.

You are pot committed when you are highly unlikely to win, but there is such a large number of chips in the pot relative to the number of chips you have left in front of you that you might as well keep betting and hope for the best.

How does this relate to our current situation? Suppose you're a commentator who's made some large bets on a hand that isn't looking so great. Maybe the cards you're holding say "Joe Biden is senile." Or they say "Joe Biden can't win because of enthusiasm." Sucks to be you. But!

If you fold now, you already look like an idiot. You threw so many of those chips (your credibility) into the pot and if you fold, they're gone. But you can keep calling, repeating your stupid line, and who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and win the whole pot!

Pot commitment can explain some of the seemingly inexplicable commentary you will hear over the next three weeks. Someone who's saying something that *seems* idiotic may actually just be making the only logical play with a weak hand and few chips facing a large pot on the river.