WaPo/ABC Poll: Romney Wins Independents, Hurricane 'Unlikely' To 'Move the Needle'

According to the latest Washington Post/ABC News tracking poll, it is highly unlikely that Obama’s behavior during the reaction to Hurricane Sandy will have any impact on the presidential race:

Likely voters’ also remain evenly divided in their assessments of Obama’s overall job performance: 50 percent approve of the way he is handling the presidency; 49 percent disapprove. The stability of these numbers — and of the presidential contest — make it unlikely that high ratings on handling the storm damage will move the needle on either front, but 70 percent of those who give Obama negative marks generally give him positive marks on the hurricane.

The tracking poll shows the candidates deadlocked. But the internals of the poll – just like the internals of virtually every poll – show that Romney dominates on issues that count. The poll is D+5, meaning that it samples five percent more Democrats than Republicans, with 36% independents. Among independents, Romney has a five point lead, 51-46.