RNC looks to bracket Obama reelection kickoff with 'hype and blame' messaging

After a week in which the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden effectively dominated the political news arena, Republicans are looking to shift the message back to a critical examination of President Obama's economic record.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Romney campaign are launching a new messaging effort centered on the theme of "hype and blame," a play on the Obama campaign's 2008 "hope and change" slogans.

Republicans will sell bumper stickers emblazoned with the faux slogan and accompany them with a multiplatform advertising push. The effort will focus on Virginia and Ohio, two swing states where the president will hold campaign events Saturday.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus will host a conference call detailing the strategy with reporters Thursday morning, and state party officials plan to circulate research pieces and op-eds hammering the theme.

"Obama has no record to run on so he’s out on the trail resorting to the same tactics he campaigned against in 2008. He has a litany of broken promises so what does he do? Lay blame, make excuses, run on gimmicks and engage in divisive politics. Four years later we know the candidate of Hope and Change is now Hype and Blame," said RNC spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski.

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