Ryan is partially right about the failure to communicate idea. He and Romney did not articulate the conservative position very well at all. Personally, the more Ryan appeared, the more I didn't think his communication style was effective. The larger issues, though, are quality of communication, and Ryan is right about that.
The elephant in the room, though, about communication is that the Republicans are seriously outgunned when it comes to getting their message out. Outside of Fox, talk radio, and conservative blogs, the republicans CANNOT get their message out. The liberal party owns 9/10ths of broadcast and cable media, just as much or more of the internet, nearly 100% of Hollywood, cinema, comedy, entertainment TV, TV talk shows, sitcoms, soaps, sports broadcasters, printing companies, and in-print authors.
Americans hear 25 liberal messages for any 1 conservative message. The American media has successfully locked out the conservative message from getting heard by the average American. They are in the process of doing the same with every subject imaginable from the budget battles to the discussion of abortion.
So, even if both Ryan and Romney had been absolutely pristine perfect in every communication they ever made, they still wouldn't have gotten that message to America in any kind of timely way.
So far as turnout is concerned, many bemoan the conservatives who stayed home. They is Romney's responsibility. He turned them off with his comments about gay adoption, gay couples, gay military, health of mother abortion, bi-partisan gun legislation, "revenue" enhancement, and silence on major foreign policy disasters such as Benghazi, the Arab Spring, and budgetary waste, fraud, and abuse, particularly the 300 billion dollar annual interest payment on debt.
Romney alienated values voters the most, and that was because he was intentionally dropping hints in an effort to attract moderate liberals away from the Dem Party. Why, though, would these vote for a closet liberal when they could have the real thing? So, Romney failed in attracting them at all and in the process he lost many social conservatives.
What should future conservative campaigns look like?
First, conservatives need to gain control of more media power.
Second, conservatives must run conservatives campaigns, talk proudly of conservative issues, and BELIEVE in their conservative take on the world.