South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, long described as a Republican rising star, is going to find out for herself whether delivering the response to the State of the Union address is a curse or a blessing. Haley, said to be a potential VP pick, has been chosen to deliver the GOP response to President Obama's final SOTU address. She says she plans to talk about both the great challenges and the great opportunities in store for America, reports Politico, which notes that Haley came to nationwide attention last year for her response to the Charleston church massacre, which included removing the Confederate flag from the Statehouse.
Haley—the first South Carolinian to deliver the SOTU response—was chosen for the role by congressional GOP leaders, including Mitch McConnell, the State reports. "Not only has Gov. Haley fought to bring opportunity and prosperity to the people of her state, but she's also demonstrated how bringing people together can bring real results,” the Senate majority leader said in a statement. "Gov. Haley knows the American dream and wants to see every American share in it." But delivering the speech doesn't tend to "translate into electoral glory," NBC News finds in a look at SOTU responses over the last decade, including Bobby Jindal's widely mocked 2009 effort and Marco Rubio's 2013 speech, notable mainly for a swig of water. (More Republican response stories.)
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