Marco Rubio will respond to President Obama's State of the Union
The senator from Florida is clearly the GOP's hottest prospect
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida will deliver the Republican Party's official response to President Obama's State of the Union address on February 12. The choice is just the latest evidence of how deeply invested the party is in Rubio, a Cuban-American who is leading a bipartisan effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform in Congress. And to underscore the GOP's play for Latino votes, Rubio will deliver the address in both Spanish and English. (Beat that, Obama!)
However, Rubio may have been wise to think twice about accepting the honor. Responding to the State of the Union is best known for crippling political careers, not helping them. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) seems to only just be recovering from his disastrous performance in 2009, which was panned as amateurish and awkward, most vocally by members of his own party. And Democrat Kathleen Sebelius was skewered for "her lack of humanness" and zombie-like delivery in 2008. The chosen spokesman of the opposition — who is usually located in a den of some kind, speaking into the camera with Mr. Rogers-like earnestness — can seem utterly small in comparison to the president, who will be addressing the country from the floor of the House, applauded by lawmakers of all stripes, and cloaked in the trappings of power. On top of that, relatively few Americans other than journalists and political insiders watch the response, which means you get all the bad press without any of the benefits of mass exposure.
But of course, if Rubio can pull it off, it would just add to his rapidly growing clout within the GOP.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published