Assuming that Tim Newman and crew can cobble together the $50 to 60m. needed to make it happen, Charlotte is getting this mention largely because Democratic operatives want to turn the state blue in 2012. And that might happen with or without the DNC convention in Uptown.

But talking it up now energizes local Dems and lets pols like Larry Kissell know that the region is in on the national radar. To my mind, though, if I’m trying to get the biggest boost out of my convention, I park it in St. Louis and play to the fickle farm-state crowd.

We shall see.