Mitt Romney has surged to a 4-percentage-point lead in 12
crucial swing states, largely because he has erased President
Obama's lead among women voters, according to a USA Today/Gallup
poll released Monday.  The battle for women has been a major
focus of both campaigns, and is expected to figure prominently
in their closing arguments in Tuesday night's debate and in TV
ads during the last three weeks before election day.  As a
group, women tend to wait longer than men to choose their
candidates, which makes them — especially blue-collar "waitress
moms" hit hard by the economy's troubles — a key swing vote.
Women overwhelmingly backed Obama throughout the campaign, so
why are they suddenly warming to Romney? Here, five theories:
1. Romney showed them he's not crazy Romney's "humor and
authority" in the first presidential debate changed everything,
says Tim Stanley at Britain's Telegraph. His pledge to protect
Social Security, Medicare, and financial regulation reassured
them "that while he is a traditional Re