Former Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan distances himself from Mitt Romney

Ryan and Marco Rubio to shape the future of the Republican party

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Former Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan

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Speaking at an event in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, former Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan began to distance himself from Mitt Romney.

The Daily Mail reports on Ryan’s comments at the Jack Kemp Foundation Leadership Awards Dinner on Tuesday. Ryan was joined by other Republican forerunner Marco Rubio; the two top the list for nominees in 2016.

Together, they presented ideas that - without mentioning Romney by name - indicated that they felt it’s time for the Republican party to move in a new direction, especially after November’s loss.

“We must speak to the aspirations and anxieties of every American,” said Ryan, in a slight jab to Romney’s ‘47%’ faux pas.

“I believe we can turn the engines of upward mobility back on, so that no one is left out from the promise of America. But it’s going to require a bold departure from the approach that government has taken for the last five decades.”

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Presumably, part of that approach that Ryan feels the Republican party needs to depart from is the way Romney handled the election this year.

Marco Rubio echoed Ryan’s call for change. Rubio insisted that most Americans aren’t looking for a handout, perhaps in contradiction to Romney’s views.

“Some say that our problem is that the American people have changed,” Rubio said. “That too many people want things from government. But I am still convinced that the overwhelming majority of our people just want what my parents had — a chance.”

“All they want is a job that provides for their families,” said Rubio. “It all starts with our people — in the kitchens of our hotels, in the landscaping crews that work in our neighborhoods, in the late night janitorial shifts that clean our offices. That's where you will find the dreams America was built on, that's where you will find the promise of tomorrow.”

Speaking to November’s loss, Paul Ryan said, “Losing is part of politics, and can often prepare the way for the greatest victories.”

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