Return of the Independents (Sandy Bump Over)

Weekly Standard ^ | 11/05/2012 | Josh Jordan

[nhwingut]

The days after Hurricane Sandy brought a small bump in President Obama’s numbers against Governor Romney and in job approval. This was easily explained by the positive television coverage Obama received about his initial statements on relief efforts and with his flyover of New Jersey with Chris Christie.

But the underlying reason for Obama’s small bounce was his movement among independents. In all of the tracking polls, Romney saw his lead with independents shrink from double digits to just about even. On Saturday, the Washington Post tracking poll showed a tie, and Rasmussen dropped to just a three-point advantage for Romney. For the most part each candidate has held their base steadily, but Romney’s lead with independents had explained how he could remain tied or leading with polls showing high Democratic turnout.

Over the last few days the independents have been returning back to Romney, however, indicating that the final vote Tuesday might revert back to polling from the days just before Sandy made landfall.

[LibFreeUSA]

The Sandy Christie bounce is over!

[American Constitutionalist]

The Hurricane Sandy Dump instead ?

[American Constitutionalist]

Sandy Dump

[trappedincanuckistan]

I knew it was just a bump, and I saw independents start to move back to Romney in the Saturday Gallup poll. (I think it was Saturday’s Gallup)