Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., offered a scathing indictment of liberalism in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute Wednesday night.
"Progressivism is well-intentioned, but it is also — in my humble opinion — arrogant and condescending," he said in the transcript of his speech,
The Hill reports.
"Instead of helping people make their own decisions, it makes those decisions for them. It makes Washington the center of power and politicians the center of attention."
Ryan acknowledged the Democrats' electoral success. "The left keeps winning elections. Why?" he asked.
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"Well, you can see the appeal. In uncertain times, people look for security. Progressives seem to have an answer . . . The progressive state offers a sense of security. But it's a false sense of security because government can't keep all its promises."
What Republicans offer is a vision of personal responsibility, Ryan says. "This vision is our response to progressivism. It’s not as easy to sell. But it is more complete and much more real. We have to show how it works."
Ryan said that while Republicans continue to focus on fiscal conservatism, the party must do better at bringing in outsiders. "We have failed to communicate this vision to those who have never heard of it," he said.
"We’ve retreated to our cultural cul-de-sacs in an effort to protect our immediate surroundings. Meanwhile, our inner cities, our barrios, and our poor rural communities have languished. This is where our opportunity lies."
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