SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In the coming days, the Republican National Committee will merge its operation with Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in an effort to form a more formidable political organization to wage battle with President Obama in the fall.  That process will probably begin after Tuesday’s Republican primaries — in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware — when expected victories by Mr. Romney finally close the door on the intraparty competition. The campaign and the party have been quietly talking for weeks, but a formal arrangement is not far away.  But how would it work, practically speaking? The Caucus discussed that issue with Reince R. Priebus, the Republican National Committee’s chairman, during the committee’s annual spring meeting in the suburbs outside of Phoenix. Here is an edited and condensed transcript of that conversation.  Q: Talk about the coming integration with Mitt Romney’s campaign. How does that work? What does it look like?  A: Part of this conversation, I still think is a little bit premature. I know, probably to the outside world, you know, what are you talking about? But for us, still, it’s a little bit premature. But I don’t want to avoid the question, either. As we move in the direction of formalizing Governor Romney as a nominee, I think it’s important that we show respect to Speaker Gingrich and Congressman Paul. I think they understand as well, though, that we need to start getting ourselves into a place where we’re not just lightly communicating with Mitt Romney’s campaign. We need to start formalizing our relationship with Governor Romney. It’s my intention to have a seamless and complete merger between the presumptive nominee and the Republican National Committee. That means political, communications, fund-raising, research and the chairman’s office, along with the governor’s main operational team, are completely merged.  Q: The Democratic Party ramped up its rapid response in 2008. Will you do the same in 2012?  A. I think we’ve improved a lot in our rapid response and research through communications and getting facts and figures. Our video messaging program is vastly improved. We’re going to have these social victory centers that will plug in every person in American through Facebook platforms. Not just our victory centers and phoning from home, but the tools to communicate on research, rapid response. All of those things that we would normally do through e-mail, we’re now unveiling through a new Facebook platform that I think is going to be very unique.  Q: What are the biggest hurdles that you see in defeating President Obama? A: Anytime you run against an incumbent, I mean, naturally there are advantages to being an incumbent. In the case of Barack Obama, though, he’s made it much easier. We can talk about issues that really resonate with the American people no matter what distractions the president wants to put forward. We have at the R.N.C., I think, the blessing of being able to use the facts, no matter where they come from, to show that Barack Obama hasn’t met the promises and standards that he set himself for the American people.  Q: Those are the hurdles? A: The hurdles are that he’s an incumbent and he does nothing except raise money and use the leverage and power of incumbency in a way that no American president has ever used before in raising money. He is addicted to raising money. He is addicted to campaigning. If it was a drug, he’d have to go to Campaigning Anonymous to get cured. George Bush did like half of the fund-raisers that Barack Obama did. So that’s the hurdle. But the advantage is that truth of where we sit in the American economy and what this president promised he would do are vastly far apart.  Q: Analyze the electoral map a little bit. How do you see the race playing out? Are there states that you worry about?  A: It’s like making baseball predictions early in the season. It’s hard to tell. We’re all fairly trained on the battleground states. You know what dozen states they are. I could rattle them off and you could rattle them off right with me. My sense, though, is that if the Republican nominee and the party and the movement is effective in making this campaign about a campaign of truth as to what the president promised and where we sit, I think we are going to be playing in states that no one is even talking about. States that you would believe to be safe for the president, but in the end, very, very close. Look at Wisconsin. If you look at most of these maps, it will all tell you it’s likely Dem. But I look at it as likely Republican. All recent indicators would tell you, from two Supreme Court races, failed attempt on the state Senate, it will be a failed attempt on Scott Walker. It will be very difficult for them to come back and win Wisconsin. There is not a single state that John McCain won in 2008 that we’re not going to win in 2012. Nothing.
Reince R. Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, talks about working with Mitt Romney's campaign, the states he's most focused on and the biggest obstacle to Mr. Romney's election.