This really is the Year of the Woman.

We know, you’ve heard this all before. But consider these numbers: More women are running for Congress than in any previous year — 16 for the Senate and 163 for the House, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers. And this year, women voters almost certainly will determine the outcome of the election.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll in swing states makes this abundantly clear. In Ohio, Mitt Romney holds a slim lead among men, but President Obama enjoys a 17-point margin among women and an eight-point advantage overall. In Florida, men strongly favor Romney, but women are even more enthusiastic about Obama, putting the president ahead by four points.

Another sign that this is truly the Year of the Woman: On a busy day in New York, where he was addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Obama (and his wife, Michelle) made time to tape “The View,” the popular morning show hosted by five women and watched mainly by stay-at-home moms. He arrived with a basket of birthday gifts for co-host Barbara Walters and proclaimed his role was to provide “eye candy” for the audience.