Economic hardship argument is tough sell for Ryan in Ohio

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio (REUTERS) - Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan told an Ohio rally on Saturday about a friend's financial hardship, but his party's narrative that President Barack Obama has failed on the United States economy may be a difficult sell in the crucial battleground state.

"I've got a buddy who was making 25 (dollars) an hour who went to make 9 dollars an hour as a cashier at a gas station temporarily with no benefits. That's the story of the American economy right now," Mr Ryan told a crowd of 1,000 people at an excavator factory.

With the tight presidential race potentially coming down to a contest over Ohio and its prize of 18 electoral votes, the question of whether the state is in good shape economically is vital.

The Midwestern manufacturing state, where latest polls show Mr Obama holding a slim lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney before the Nov 6 election, has an unemployment rate of 7 per cent, below the national average of 7.8 per cent.