Pundit Insurance

Smart guy, that Ta-Nehisi Coates:

But let me take a swing--this is nothing more than pundit insurance. Frankly, it's easy to talk up the virtues of the underdog. If they get stomped, you lose nothing because the favorite was supposed to win anyway. If they hold their own, but still lose, you're redeemed. If they win you get to do the "I told you so" dance. This is the real source of these "Everything is good for McCain" stories. It's just pundits watching thier ass.