I think some are more likely to do that than others.

Coattails are important and the willingness to support and campaign for other Dems is, as well.

I will volunteer time for the presidential candidate, but my money will go to Gardner's challenger.

One step to 51.

Almost every candidate running for the nomination can win. But how and where they win will have big effects. What is more how they govern in the early years will have big long-term effects.

All of the major issues we face need more then a year and more then a single congress.

We would actually get more done

No. And why should they be? They are not in some kind of competition. I vote Democratic for president, and I vote Democratic downballet too. Who the down ballot Democrats are doesn't make the slightest bit of difference one way or another in who I choose to be president.

Am I supposed to not like some Democratic downballot candidate, like say Ilhan Omar (my congressperson) and therefore decide to vote for Jill Stein or the orange anus for president because of that? Maybe in JPR Jeeper Creeper land, but not here in DU, at least I would hope not.

Democratic downballot primary candidates? And how that might impact the upcoming presidential general election.

Or vice versa, picking a dubious Democratic (or sort of Democratic) presidential candidate in the primary, and the effect on the whole slate in the upcoming general election? (I think I've figured out this is what you mean)

And some candidates are more likely to support and campaign for Democrats in other races than others. Some seem likely to be more selective about that support than others.

A lot depends on turnout. If a candidate helps generates high turnout, it helps Democrats at all levels.

I support down ticket candidates I think will help my chosen candidate's plan, but I don't support a candidate based on any strategy of who I think would best help down ticket Dems.

Realism 101

One Presidential candidate seems to have broad support among older Dems and left-leaning independents, and good minority appeal, but seems to put voters under 25 to sleep. Many of those "under 25ers" do the bulk of the grunt work for these campaigns. Will they not show up? Will they dedicate their energies to down-ballot races?

Another Presidential candidate excites these kids but turns off moderate Dems and may scare center-to-right independents. The minority appeal also seems to be missing. But the kids will show up to vote and work like Hell for this guy. This guy also seems to have a knack for raising money.

There is a Frosch House Member. She pisses off older Dem voters. She also makes heads explode over on FOX News. It'd be worth sending her money just to watch Tucker Carlson nearly have a seizure every time I'm forced to watch him mention her name at the gym. I also like the fact that she caught a 5-term House member napping when he should have been campaigning. We need more of that - new blood and more energy.

At this point, I'm voting for those people that align with me most closely on the issues. Ultimately, I'll vote for whoever we nominate that I'm legally able to vote for, no matter what. I'll most likely also send a few bucks to whoever is running against Joni Ernst so I won't have to hear about her wearing Wonder Bread bags over her shoes as a child. My recommendation is that everyone else does the same thing, and stop overthinking about who is best able to beat Trump or who will cost us which half of Congress. Just pick the people you think are best and let the chips fall where they may. I remember people thinking we were doomed with Obama because America wasn't ready to elect a black man President (we were). I remember people thinking Hillary Clinton was a lock, but for the second time in 20 years, we lost an election despite having more votes. There's no telling, so vote your values.