LAS VEGAS -- Mitt Romney lands in the Las Vegas area tonight, just two days before Nevada Republicans head to their caucuses. Romney will hold afternoon events in Las Vegas and Henderson, followed by events north in Elko and Reno. On Saturday, he will hold more events in Nevada before beginning a bus tour in Jacksonville, Florida.

Notice anything missing? Romney doesn't plan any stops in South Carolina beyond today. For Democrats, Nevada is going to be a big deal. But those in the media following Republicans are camped out in the Palmetto State.

Avoiding South Carolina on Saturday makes sense for Romney: He's in third place there in the latest RCP South Carolina Average, while Fred Thompson is surging from fourth place.

In Nevada, on the other hand, Romney has invested much more time and energy than any other Republican. Romney has dozens of staffers on the ground, and today he won backing from the Las Vegas Review Journal, the state's largest daily. The only other candidate with a significant presence here is Ron Paul.

So, while Romney is in fact playing everywhere, he has the opportunity to give a victory speech after winning Nevada instead of a concession speech after finishing third or fourth in South Carolina. Then again, recent polls suggest even a Nevada win might not be guaranteed: One recent poll in Nevada showed Romney leading John McCain by eight points, while another had Romney in fourth place, trailing McCain by seven points. See all the latest Nevada polls here, though there are too few polls to offer an RCP Nevada Average.