Wisconsin congressman and former Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan just released his latest book, “The Way Forward: Renewing the American Idea,” and made an appearance on the Alabama-based, nationally syndicated Rick & Bubba show Wednesday morning to promote it.

“We’re fired up about this book,” said co-host Rick Burgess. “I’ve heard your passion, I’ve heard you speak. And I believe America is at a crossroads right now… Are we going to keep moving forward into a gigantic central government, a soft-tyranny, socialistic type existence? Or are we going to turn back to the original intent of the role of the government (laid out by) the Founders of the country?”

“That pretty much sums the book up,” Ryan replied. “What I’m trying to do is show how we can do it. We’re going to have to grow the conservative movement. It’s not enough that we just talk to each other. We’ve got to go out and win converts without diluting our principles. In fact, I think if we apply our principles (to America’s problems), I think we can show better solutions, better ideas, and communicate with people from all backgrounds and all walks of life that, you know, now that you’ve seen what big government in practice looks like, it’s not working, it’s not for you, and there’s a better way forward. So I’m trying to do my part to create a conservative movement that’s principled, inclusive, aspirational, and therefore appealing to the majority of Americans.”

Bill “Bubba” Bussey then asked Ryan what he learned from running for vice president in 2012, and what conservatives can take away from it when looking toward 2016.

Ryan started by pointing out the “structural problems” with the Republican Party’s current presidential nominating process.

“Don’t have 23 primary debates where the networks pick the moderators, like George Stephanopoulos,” he quipped. “Have the Party do that. Number two, don’t have your convention so late, because what happens is that you can’t get your general election money until the convention,” which Ryan said left Mitt Romney in the summer of 2012 without enough money to defend himself from relentless attacks by the Obama campaign.

But then Ryan turned his attention to the war of ideas that he believes needs to be waged in order for Republicans to be successful at the national level. He also gave an interesting historical reference to back up his claim that, in order for Republicans to take back the White House, they’ll need to offer Americans a “big choice” with regard to what kind of country they want to live in.

“Make it a real choice election. You’ve got to take to the country a very clear choice. We’ve got to do a very good, full-throttle criticism of the left, the ideas underneath their policies so that you can uncover their rhetoric for the empty promise that it is,” Ryan said. “But you’ve got to show specifically how things will be done differently so that the country gets to make the choice of what kind of country we’re going to be. We’re going to have to have a ‘big choice’ election like that — like an ’80 election (the Regan Revolution) — so that when we win that election we actually have… the mandate to fix this country’s problems. We can’t have an electoral college strategy with a margin of error of one state, which is basically what we had (in 2012). We’ve got to be able to open the field back up.”

Check out the full interview in the video above.

Would you support Paul Ryan if he ran for president in 2016? Let us know in the comment section below or by tweeting @YHPolitics.

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