Michael Kinsley cuts to the chase:
If you re wondering why a formerly honorable man like John McCain would build his presidential campaign around issues that are simultaneously beside-the-point, trivial, and dishonest sex education for kindergartners, lipstick on pigs , the numbers presented here may help to solve that mystery. Since the conventions ended, McCain has mired the presidential race in dishonest trivia because he doesn t want it to focus on what voters say is the most important issue this year: the economy.
There is no secret about any of this. The figures below are all from the annual Economic Report of the President, and the analysis is primitive. Nevertheless, what these numbers show almost beyond doubt is that Democrats are better at virtually every economic task that is important to Republicans.
I agree with just about everything, except “formerly honorable”.  McCain has been lying whenever and wherever required to stay in office. I accept that. But it isn’t honorable.