GOP to NC: 'The game is on'

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus joined NCGOP chair Robin Hayes today to introduce a new ad campaign headed for North Carolina’s cable news channels.

“No doubt about it, NC is the number one battleground state in the upcoming 2012 election,” Hayes said. “It’s evidenced by the RNC making an investment in the state this early on.”

“I believe this election in 2012 is going to comedown to the economy,” Priebus said. “The president’s been an absolute disaster to the American economy.”

Priebus said he fully expects the Republican presidential candidate to carry North Carolina in 2012, “and turn it back to red, as it should be.”

“The game is on,” he said.

Priebus says the new ad campaign will feature a new ad every week for the next month. It’ll be on cable news channels in 13 battleground states, from NC and Florida to Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The national chairman wouldn’t divulge how much the RNC is actually spending on the ad buy. He said it’s part of an effort to bolster the party’s digital and new media presence to match the Democrats’ online efforts. “As we figure out what might be working best for the RNC, we’re gonna double down, triple down, do whatever we have to do to get the message out.”

State party chairman Robin Hayes sought to tie Gov. Bev Perdue to the national message.

“It’s clear the 'jobs’ governor’s plan is not working. North Carolina has lost over 126,000 jobs” on Perdue’s watch, Hayes said. “Today, more than 50% of NC countries have an unemployment rate above 10%.”

Hayes accused Perdue of “[taking] her cues from union leaders as political payback before her reelection bid.”

“Republicans in North Carolina did not create these problems. But we are working together to solve them,” Hayes said.