I don't know why McCain would be going there.  For Palin, this is the first of many, many trips in the next 3 years to Iowa.

Bullshit. Red states have established a no-fly zone for McCain-Palin. If you are down ballot you want him to stay clear. He would bring down the marginals, those hanging on in NC and Obama's numbers spiked when Johnny was in MI, VA, MO and he's  staying clear of IN so he doesn't push the governor out the door. OH must look good for Barack because McCain is allowed as a 'nothin' to lose' if he visits.

He's spending time in the states that are locked for Barack for the same reason a dog licks his balls. Because he can.

I hope its what you call running out the clock. You do that strategically when you're winning (four corners offense, anyone), you just put in the scrubs and let 'em run around aimlessly when you're getting clobbered. I'm starting to get over my Democratic pessimism and believe he may just be getting clobbered.

Possibility one:

They don't know what else to do at this point.

Possibility two:

Iowa publicity gives secondary benefits in Missouri, maybe Indiana, etc.

Possibility three:

It's cheap to buzz into Iowa, and diverting last-minute Obama dollars there helps them elsewhere.

Possibility four:

They're actually close in Iowa.

Possibility five:

They'll let him come, and hey, he's gotta spend that money somewhere...

He has to go somewhere, whether or not he has a chance to win the state in question. He can't very well spend the last week and half kicking around the lobby of the Salt Lake City Mariott. Cut the guy a little slack in this department, and let's stop pretending that every move he makes indicates that he's acting on a brilliant new strategy to win the election. Maybe he does have promising poll numbers the rest of us don't see, but it's at least as likely that he's just marking time.

cspencef is right.  Why do you guys keep beating this dead horse?  Nate Silver has McCain's chances of victory down to 3.5%.  And it's a sure thing that for that slim chance to be realized, some dramatic external event will have to take place, i.e. something out of the McCain campaign's control.  Thus, it doesn't really matter where McCain and Palin campaign.  ANYPLACE would be futile.  And I suspect that michael's suggestion about the fears of down-ticket collateral damage in places like NC is spot on.

The Des Moines Register explores the mystery of McCain-Palin's weekend itinerary. -- Michael Crowley