Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) thinks some of his fellow Republicans sound downright primitive when they talk to voters.
“You have people on our side of the aisle that have a really abrasive tone,” Duffy said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “We can come across as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals on occasion.”
A study released this year by Dutch scientists suggested that Neanderthals may have actually been more articulate than previously thought, but that’s beside the point. Duffy’s comments can be viewed as a fitting capper to the GOP’s year-long self-examination of its “tone.”
Ever since their humbling showing in 2012, Republicans have largely insisted that they simply need to adjust how they convey their positions to voters. It’s a view that was encapsulated perfectly by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) shortly after last year’s election.
“We don’t need to pander or change our principles, but at the same time, we can be respectful,” Jindal said during an interview on Fox News.
The Republican National Committee put out a much-publicized “autopsy” in March that focused heavily on how the party must modify its message to gays and women, while the National Republican Congressional Committee has been training incumbents on how best to interact with female voters.
