We actually agree on the subject based on your most recent post. If you can get the grade without attending class all is good if you cant then go to class. Missing lectures may or may not make it hard to do well, it totally depends on the class and material being presented as well as the student.
As far as the professor caring if you attend his lecture, 3/4 of the professors in my department loathed giving lectures (required part of the job) and would have much preferred to assign work electronically and address questions during office hours or with one of the TAs. In fact, I would argue that visiting a professor during office hours with a real question or not is actually way more valuable than attending all the lectures. I would estimate that having a professor know your face through office hours is worth on average .5 of a grade point.