Ann Romney again targets women voters

(CBS News) TAMPA, Fla. - Fresh from her Republican National Convention speech, Ann Romney on Wednesday kept up her pitch to women voters as well as her charm offensive to improve her husband's image.

"They are the ones that have figured it out," Ann Romney said of women at a breakfast fundraiser here organized by Mitt Romney's campaign. "They are the ones that have done the math, and know where we're headed if we don't get someone in there to fix the direction of the country, because it's the direction we're heading in that is the trouble.

"This is why so many of the women in this nation have got to figure out, 'Am I going to go in that voting booth and vote for my children's future?''' she continued. "That's what they have got to ask, because this is going to be an economic question for them."

She also borrowed a theme from the convention's keynote speaker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who stressed the need for politicians to make unpopular decisions without following polls. "The next generation is going to be paying for our debts," she said. "We're just passing the bill along, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are standing up and they're saying `That's wrong, no, we are not going to do that. We are going to do the hard thing, the responsible thing, and the moral thing.'"

(Watch: The 2012 Republican presidential primary, in four minutes.)

At the breakfast, Ann Romney's five daughters-in-law honored her with short speeches. She also was the subject of two video tributes - one from her husband, who is campaigning in Indiana. He joked that her prime-time speech on Tuesday night was so well received that the delegates might nominate her instead.

"Wouldn't that be interesting? And do you think that if Ann were the nominee, the press would write stories about how my job is to humanize Ann? I don't think so," he quipped, poking fun at the many articles that have been written about his wife's message at the convention.

The breakfast - billed as a "Women for Romney Victory and Women for Mitt Breakfast" -- was also a public coming-out party of sorts for Janna Ryan, wife of the vice presidential candidate, who gave her first, brief set of public remarks since her husband was added to the ticket.

"Ann's story is an inspiration for millions of women across this country and her friendship is an unexpected blessing in this campaign," Janna Ryan said. "It is a privilege to join you and Mitt on this campaign. It is a tremendous honor to be on America's comeback team with you all."