No such thing Uncle Dave, question everything is my moto. When you say push to choke, is that the remote switch that you push the key in and it chokes before the actual starter engagement?
Like you, I would assume he is talking about the starter solenoid. A bit over-simplified for my taste, and somewhat misleading too, because there are actual magnets on the flywheel that induce current in the charge coils so a 'magnetic switch' could be incorrectly associated with those. I always say starter solenoid, which is a type of relay device that acts as an electromagnet, in that it generates a magnetic field to move a plunger which completes the circuit...so yes, a magnetic switch, just not something heard often, usually if you say solenoid then peoples attention automatically goes to the starter, as it should - less confusion.
If you have a multimeter then definitely test the solenoid. There should be 2 large terminals and one small terminal. Disconnect all power to the solenoid and test for continuity between terminals. There should be no continuity between the terminal connected to the battery and the one connected to the starter (the 2 large ones). This is the switch that gets closed when the signal is received from the ignition switch, so if there has been no current provided then the magnetic field has not been induced and the plunger could not have moved to close the circuit sending current to the starter motor. We know this because you disconnected the power supply. So if your multimeter beeps then the solenoid is faulty, which should be an easy fix! And at that point you will know the wiring too - win win!
Mike