Can someone please tell me how McCain's campain suspension improved his election prospects?

He looks more partisan, not less. He gave Obama the chance to say that injecting presidential politics into Congressional policy debates is usually unhelpful.  This makes Obama seem deliberative and bi-partisan.

It focused media attention on McCain's weakness (the economy) and away from his strength (foreign affairs.)

His habit of random lurching from idea to (frequently opposite) idea is more prominent, not less.

He seems to want to either avoid debating Obama or avoid having Palin debate Biden.

He seems less inquisitive and knowledgeable about the economy than before.

He seems unable to multitask.

He seems old, churlish and slightly demented.

He really pissed off Letterman and gave Letterman an opening to bring up Metamucil and declining poll numbers.

How did this stunt help him?  How was it supposed to help him?  It is just me or does this seem like a colossal strategic screw up.  Did it rally some base somewhere?  Why would anyone in his right mind do this?  What happened to Schmidt's famous message control?  Who is running things over there?