I don't think so. Most US elections are about personalities rather than issues. While we're repeatedly told the economy looms large in peoples voting decision their decisions as to who is more qualified to do anything about the economy is, from what I can see, based on who has the best personality/temperment to deal with this crisis rather than who has the better grasp of the economics involved or has the better team of experts to attack the problem. Saying the Repubs. are more honest about this is incorrect however since McCain does not explicitly state the election is not about issues. I doubt many Repubs. are stating that this election is explicitly not about issues either.
John Thornton