Why is John McCain in North Carolina today?

The obvious answer is that he's on the Republican ballot and the state is voting today, but he's already basically cinched the nomination so that's not really it.

There are several other possible reasons, some of them intriguing. 

1. For the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks: It's where the money is. McCain held three fundraisers in Charlotte, a banking capital. Why not throw in a speaking engagement while you're at it?

2. To stay in the public eye. With the nation's political press camped out in North Carolina and Indiana, you have to go there to snag an interview.

3. To land a few early blows in the general election. Barack Obama, whom the GOP seems to presume will be the nominee, is getting good publicity here, so why not fight back?

It's also possible that McCain sees North Carolina as a potential battleground state in the fall. Yes, North Carolina hasn't gone Democratic since 1976, but some head-to-head polls show a closer margin against Obama than you might expect and the state's demographics are tilting more blue.

That's rank speculation, but it's worth pondering.