Indiana’s Gov. Daniels giving rebuttal after State of Union speech

• Reprints

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. | Associated Press

Updated: January 21, 2012 5:50PM

WASHINGTON — After foregoing a chance to challenge the president on the campaign trail, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will offer a high-profile rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

It could help him become better known as Republicans start thinking about a running mate for their presidential nominee — a job Daniels has said he isn’t seeking but could consider.

But he was likely chosen because Republicans’ best contrast with Obama’s handling of the economy is to highlight what GOP governors have done, said GOP strategist Ed Goeas.

“He’s at the top of that list,” Goeas said of Daniels.

House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who asked Daniels to deliver the GOP response, said the two-term governor has a record of effective government and fiscal responsibility.

Daniels, who said he decided against running for the GOP nomination for president because his family was opposed, would have made the nation’s fiscal problems his top campaign issue. That’s likely to be a centerpiece of his response Tuesday.

The first organized and televised response to the president’s annual message by the opposition party was given by Sen. Everett Dirksen, R-Ill., and Rep. Gerald Ford, R-Mich., in 1966. While members of Congress usually give the response, half of the past 10 speakers have been governors.

The assignment, however, has not always been beneficial. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s 2009 response was widely panned by pundits and his rising star was tarnished. NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” spoofed Rep. Michele Bachmann after she delivered the tea party response to last year’s address and appeared to be looking off screen. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was criticized for looking like an actor playing the president when he gave the 2010 response.

If Daniels fumbles, that could hurt his chances for a role in the next administration if Republicans take the White House, Thurber said. If he does exceedingly well, he’ll get good buzz. But the most likely outcome is the address won’t be remembered for long.

“These responses sometimes can be very important for individuals,” Thurber said. “Generally, they’re not.”

Gannett News Service