ASHE SCHOW: Is Debbie Wasserman Schultz backing away from the ‘war on women’ narrative?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., was one of the biggest boosters of the “war on women” narrative that worked so well in 2012 but failed so hard in 2014. Now it seems the Democratic National Committee chairwoman is backing away from the favored talking point.

Wasserman Schultz is now saying that issues like abortion won’t be as important to voters as the economy — a stark change from just last year, when abortion and birth control seemed to be the only issues Democrats thought were important to women. . . .

Wasserman Schultz’s comments came as a response to presidential hopeful Rand Paul, who asked last week if the DNC chairwoman would be okay “with killing a seven-pound baby that is not born yet.” It was a play on typical mainstream media attempts to paint Republicans as anti-abortion extremists without asking Democrats whether they believe in any restrictions for abortions. (The vast majority of Americans believe late-term abortions should be illegal.)

Wasserman Schultz responded at the time by saying she supports “letting women and their doctors make this decision without government getting involved — period,” suggesting she is okay with late-term and even partial-birth abortions. She later doubled-down on her position and accused Paul of not answering for his own beliefs on the issue.

Wasserman Schultz added: “If that’s what [Rand] thinks is the central issue and priority for the American voters and will drive the ultimate choice they make, then he’s more out of touch than I thought.”

Funny, because that was the entire premise of Democrats’ “war on women” campaign from the start. Apparently Wasserman Schultz is admitting she has been out of touch for the past three years?

I think Rand Paul single-handedly torpedoed that narrative with one question. Funny the rest of the GOP didn’t think of that sooner.

Related: Hillary Clinton: The Candidate Of Meh.