There is little to no evidence to support down ballot races effecting the top of the ballot, but I guess this is supposed to be something new that will happen with Thompson. He's not leading because of straight ticket Republican voters, some of his voters will be voting for Obama.
There is about as much evidence to support reverse coattails as there is to support the notion that the
unpopularity of someone not even on the ballot can affect the Presidential race - nothing or close to nothing. If coattails are overrated, reverse coattails are even more so.
