House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. gestures on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Paul D. Ryan’s election as the 54th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives provides Republicans an important opportunity to prove that they are the party of ideas, political sobriety, and prudent statecraft. In the coming weeks, Mr. Ryan’s task will become clear: he must promote a genteel, inclusive conservatism; the big tent, if you will, under which political conservatives (broadly defined) have labored since the end of the Second World War.
Ryan is a man with deep conservative principles who is, yet, grounded in the practical day-to-day realities of governing. This is precisely what the GOP needs as it attempts to undue the damage of the last decade of liberal excess and prepares for the next election cycle.
In his new role, Ryan will be called upon to tame a Republican party stricken with philosophical paralysis and intellectual infighting. As the leader of a caucus awash in confusion, it is his charge to show that the GOP is the only alternative to the statist liberalism that seeks to erode traditional American values and replace them with perverted visions of justice and equality.
To do this, Ryan must unite his party’s various philosophical constituents (the economic conservatives, social conservatives, libertarians, Tea Party activists, neo-conservatives, and traditionalists) into a constructive opposition that can check the rising tide of government dependency, moral laxity, and economic leveling.
Ryan’s task is this: he must demonstrate that the policies of the left, while parading under the veneer of compassion and justice, are in fact the products of envy, intolerance, and naiveté. And, despite widespread mistrust of the GOP, Ryan must pull the conservative coalition together to demonstrate to the American electorate that four more years of Democratic rule will tear this nation asunder.
Paul Ryan understands the gravity of his undertaking. To some degree, he was intimidated by it. It is easy to understand his reluctance to seek the job of Speaker, given that he will be forced to confront unapologetic intransigence on the left, as well as his own unruly and often recalcitrant colleagues on the right. Ryan, however, reluctantly accepted his charge, took up his gavel, and assumed an awesome, overwhelming responsibility. By doing so, he showed selflessness, duty, honor, courage, and loyalty — uncommon traits in contemporary politics.
To be an effective Speaker, Ryan will need to be an energetic spokesman for a political conservatism that eschews ideological squabbles and pettiness, and instead embraces the twin pillars of order and compromise. While he must not cave to the demands of leftist demagoguery, Ryan must use his position to achieve a tolerable consensus wherever one is to be found — first within his own party, and then, by extension, with his opposition.
In his first interview as Speaker, Ryan told Fox News that Republicans lack a unified philosophical vision. While this is hardly news, his observation is important to the degree that it highlights that the GOP’s various philosophical factions need to work more diligently to find common ground if it is to challenge its most fervent ideological adversaries.
To that end, Ryan must work with his colleagues to set an aggressive agenda that is both firmly rooted in principle and attainable in practice.
For example, Ryan opposes taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. But he understands that there are numerous political realities that prevent Congress from immediately withdrawing financial support. Ryan knows that before he can withdraw funding, he must build a lawyerly case against Planned Parenthood, if for no other reason than to convince a skeptical public. It is a measured, deliberate approach – a necessary means of navigating treacherous political waters where opposition is usually treated as a heresy against so-called progress and “women’s rights.”
Similarly, Ryan will not attempt to pursue immigration reform until President Obama leaves office in 2017. Given the president’s utter disregard for the legislative process and his misuse of executive orders to circumvent the constitutional prerogatives of Congress, Ryan has little choice but to leave the issue for another day.
Instead, Ryan must focus on those policies where a broad conservative coalition can make substantial inroads and demonstrate to the American people that Republicans can be trusted to govern: reducing the federal deficit, cutting taxes to spur new economic growth, and encouraging social policies that strengthen the family.
Ultimately, Ryan’s task is to enable the various elements of the conservative coalition to find common ground in the legislative sphere and present a unified political alternative to Obama-style progressivism. Although conservatives are naturally (and rightfully) skeptical of the power of political institutions to effect widespread change, we cannot afford to abandon the policy fights that play a central role in defining the direction of our nation. This is Ryan’s task, and as members of a diverse conservative movement, the challenge to us all.
Glen A. Sproviero is a commercial litigator in New York.
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. gestures on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) 
