Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan is calling former President Jimmy Carter's leadership "the good old days" compared to the last four years under President Barack Obama.

The Wisconsin congressman campaigned Monday at East Carolina University in Greenville, about 230 miles east of where thousands of Democrats were gathering at the Democratic National Convention.

Ryan says voters will hear a lot of words from Democrats in Charlotte this week. But he says they won't hear evidence of how the nation is better off under Obama's leadership.

Ryan says the only way to change the direction of the country is to change the president. Ryan said, " We can either choose to stay on the path that we are on, a path of debt, doubt and decline, joblessness, or we can get things turned around."

The message is part of a broader messaging strategy by Republicans in North Carolina and across the country this week.

Ryan said he and Mitt Romney have a 5-point plan to get America working again. Ryan said, "We've got a lot of energy in this country. let's us the energy, create jobs, lower gas prices, put people back to work. Keystone pipeline, natural gas, oil, coal, nuclear, renewables. All of it."

On Medicare, Ryan said, "I'm excited about this debate. We want this debate. We need this debate and we're going to win it."

WITN will have team coverage of Ryan's visit tonight on WITN News at 6.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.