Will women decide who wins the White House?
It's a routine headline. Women tend to be the decision-makers when it comes to household economic decisions. They're feeling the pinch in their purses and they're paying attention. Women are also slightly more reliable voters than men.
What does this all mean? Expect to see both President Obama and Mitt Romney pull out all of their smoothest moves to woo women.
Already, Democrats have declared Republicans are waging a "war on women." Republicans fought back at their convention using a secret weapon: Ann Romney. She used her highly anticipated convention speech to talk directly to women. She talked about the realities of being a mom, realities that cross all socioeconomic categories: screaming kids, unexpected illness and love.
Team Romney needs Ann to reach out to moms every day. There's a gender gap in American politics and President Obama has the advantage.
Beltway Buzz asked DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz about Ann Romney's speech and the coveted female vote.
*FLASHBACK: By the way. On Aug. 18, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. constitution, which gives women the right to vote, turned 92 years old.*
BELTWAY BUZZ: Women are getting a lot of attention in this election and as of today President Obama is winning the female vote, but Ann Romney dedicated part of her convention speech to women saying, "we're too smart and know that there are no easy answers, but we're not dumb enough to accept that there are not better answers."
I'm wondering, what is your reaction to that statement form Ann Romney and really the new Republican push to win over women voters?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, there is a very large gender gap that President Obama enjoys because when it comes to the things that matter to women, because I know, me as a working mom with young children, I want to know and the constituents that I represent that are women want to know that we have a president in the White House who's not gonna slash education like Mitt Romney has proposed in his budget and cut college aid and cut head start programs, cut health care, compromise the future of our next generation.
But a president like Barack Obama who has made those investments in innovation and education - who has made sure when it comes to the personal lives of women that we keep government out of the personal lives of women and those health care decisions are made between the women, her doctor and her god.
So I think that the dramatic contrast that exists between President Obama and Mitt Romney on the issues that are important to women. On ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to be successful. Women make 70 percent of the economic decisions in most households and women want to make sure they have a president in the White House who is fighting for the middle class and working families.
Not like Mitt Romeny who has proposed budget-busting tax increases for the middle class to pay for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires and that just doesn't make any sense. And I think that is in large part why women are not supporting Mitt Romney.