This Is Why People Say the SOTU Rebuttal Is Cursed
Those who have delivered the GOP response have committed embarrassing gaffs.
Jan. 28, 2014— -- intro: After President Obama delivers his State of the Union address tonight, all eyes will turn to Washington state Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress, who will deliver the GOP's rebuttal.
While giving the rebuttal address is a major opportunity to shine in prime time, the Republican response to the State of the Union during Obama's presidency has seemed more like a curse.
Those who have come before McMorris Rodgers have made embarrassing fumbles, have left politics all together, lost a national race or now face federal charges.
Let's take a walk down memory lane.
quicklist: 1title: Marco Rubio Needed a Water Breakmedia: 18485217text: When Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was picked to give the GOP response to the State of the Union address last year, he was considered a potential front-runner for the White House in 2016 and had been rumored to be a 2012 vice presidential candidate for Mitt Romney.
During his speech, Rubio awkwardly paused to reach off camera for a small bottle of water and took a drink.
The Internet immediately exploded with a deluge of tweets, memes and GIFs. Rubio even poked fun at himself, tweeting a picture of the now infamous water bottle.
Rubio then turned his moment of dehydration into a fundraising opportunity. His PAC, Reclaim America, offered a "Marco Rubio Water Bottle" for a time.
quicklist: 2title: Mitch Daniels Left Politicsmedia: 15435399text: In 2012, Mitch Daniels, then the governor of Indiana, was tapped to deliver the GOP's response to the president's address.
The following year, Daniels left politics altogether.
Daniels, who became president of Purdue University after he left office in January 2013, was term-limited and not eligible for re-election.
quicklist: 3title: Paul Ryan Lostmedia: 12763599text: Republican darling Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee, delivered the Republican reply to President Obama's speech in 2011 from the Budget Committee room.
In his address, Ryan talked about his plans for cutting spending, reducing the national debt and pushing for job growth. It helped put him on the national stage and he was picked to be Mitt Romney's running mate for the 2012 presidential election.
He and Romney lost that race. But, hey, there's always 2016.
quicklist: 4title: Michele Bachmann Didn't Know Where to Lookmedia: 12763843text: Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who founded the Tea Party Caucus, was granted the opportunity to give the first ever Tea Party rebuttal address in 2011.
But what was most memorable about the former presidential contender's speech was not what she said, but that she didn't know which camera to face.
In May 2013, Bachmann made a surprise announcement, saying she was retiring from Congress.
quicklist: 5title: Bob McDonnell's Speech Was Fine ...media: 9682740text: But four years after giving the Republican response address in 2010, he was indicted.
The former Virginia governor and his wife, Maureen, were indicted last week on federal corruption charges for allegedly illegally accepting dozens of expensive gifts and donations from a wealthy friend.
Read the most eye-popping details from the 43-page indictment HERE.
quicklist: 6title: Bobby Jindal Fumbledmedia: 6952654text: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's 2009 GOP address is better remembered for its strange cadence, rather than its substance.
Jindal, at the time a rising star in the GOP, was sharply criticized for his punctuated, stiff and seemingly-forced delivery. Some took to the Internet, comparing Jindal's speech to "30 Rock" character Kenneth the Page.
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