I've heard him say it 1,000 times. It doesn't make sense, but the electrical system has more wear items and more parts that can "give up the ghost" when they short out. The carb is just a system of valves and tubes. It only needs to be cleaned every long once in a while or if it sits for a little while.
I've learned that every time I have not-running-right issues, I check the points first, and then troubleshoot the rest of the electrical system. It usually fixes it right away!