“We’re not all crazy rednecks,” she said, to Politico, adding that the party could use more members akin to Sen. Marco Rubio, whom she described as “more on the pulse” of where the GOP should head. “I’m just frustrated that nobody seems to be listening to reason. … People within the Republican Party don’t have to listen to me. But at some point they will have to listen to facts, to trends. … We’re losing young voters, women voters and minority voters.”

She added: “The extreme right wing of the party is still running everything. I love the Republican Party and respect and appreciate my role in it, even though I know some people don’t appreciate my role in it.”

Ms. McCain also said in Politico that she has lost some of her love for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

“I saw him speak at the convention, and I was so disappointed,” she said. “He’s a little too close to Obama for my liking, but I guess I can’t knock it since I’m saying all these things about bipartisanship. … I have, like, Chris Christie fatigue right now. He’s not quite as much of a bad [expletive] and formidable candidate as I once thought he was.”