The Obama campaign has staked a lot on the phony “War on Women” meme. But it doesn’t appear to be working. Here’s a headline from today’s USA Today:

Swing States Poll: Women Push Romney into Lead

The story reports:

The battle for women, which was apparent in the speakers spotlighted at both political conventions this summer, is likely to help define messages the candidates deliver at the presidential debate Tuesday night and in the TV ads they air during the final 21 days of the campaign. As a group, women tend to start paying attention to election contests later and remain more open to persuasion by the candidates and their ads.

That makes women, especially blue-collar "waitress moms" whose families have been hard-hit by the nation's economic woes, the quintessential swing voters in 2012's close race.

"In every poll, we've seen a major surge among women in favorability for Romney" since his strong performance in the first debate, veteran Democratic pollster Celinda Lake says. "Women went into the debate actively disliking Romney, and they came out thinking he might understand their lives and might be able to get something done for them."

While Lake believes Obama retains an edge among women voters, the changed views of Romney could be "a precursor to movement" to the Republican candidate, she says. "It opens them up to take a second look, and that's the danger for Obama."

The “War on Women” was the rankest demagoguery, in my opinion. Women, like men, have been harmed by the lousy economy. The “War on Women” was designed to distract us from this. This latest poll indicates that women aren’t falling for it.