House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke to an intimate crowd of College Republicans Friday at the Madison Masonic Temple to explain why liberal progressivism is failing the country and to answer pre-submitted questions.
In his hour-long speech, Ryan described liberal progressivism, a concept that “needs no introduction in Madison,” as an ideology obsessed with big government and ruled by elites that puts liberty under assault by making America less safe, prosperous and trustful. Ryan declared that Hillary Clinton wants to continue Obama’s administration eight-year-long liberal progressive experiment.
According to Ryan, if Clinton becomes president she will turn the liberal progressive experiment into an “arrogant, condescending and paternalistic” reality.
Ryan, who told Republican lawmakers Monday that he will shift his focus away from presidential nominee Donald Trump and instead focus his energy on saving the Republican majority in the House and Senate, made no mention of Trump during his speech. This shift comes in response to lewd comments Trump made about women in a 2005 video that was released by the Washington Post last week.
Although Ryan hasn’t rescinded his endorsement of Trump, he will no longer campaign or defend the presidential nominee.
The House Speaker conceded that the election Republicans want is not the election they’re having. He suggested students take a step back during this critical election, one that’s brimming with dark turns and character attacks, to focus on what this election is really about.
“Beneath all the ugliness lies a long running debate between two governing philosophies: one that is in keeping with our nation’s founding principles—freedom and equality—and another that seeks to replace them,” Ryan said.
A theme of the question and answer portion of the event following Ryan’s speech was how Republican students on a liberal campus should discuss their viewpoints.
“Are we going to be positive and inclusive, bring people together and reclaim our founding principles?” Ryan asked. “Or are we going to be overrun by liberal progressivism, with more drift, more despair and more decline?”
Students were encouraged to talk about their beliefs, fight for their beliefs, and spread the message of conservative principles to other students.
“In a tough liberal campus like this, don’t walk yourself into some bizarre personality contest, but get into an ideas' contest,” said Ryan. “We are trying to offer you and furnish you with ideas that actually solve problems.”
