Is Giving the State of the Union Response Good for Your Career?

February 5, 2019, 5:00 AM EST

For some politicians, providing the official State of the Union response has been career gold. For others, not so much.

Democrats this year chose recent Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who lost a remarkably close election in the red state, to address the nation immediately following President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The speech gives Abrams a big platform and a chance to introduce herself to a national audience. But there are tales of caution.

During Barack Obama’s presidency, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and then-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal were two young up-and-comers in the Republican Party, both seen as potential future presidential candidates. But before they fizzled out in the 2016 GOP primary, each fizzled during their State of the Union responses. Rubio famously grasped for a glass of water mid-speech, a move parodied by Saturday Night Live, his primary opponent Donald Trump and even himself on the campaign trail. Jindal’s speech was criticized as “cheesy” and as talking down to the American public.

How much of a career launching pad is the State of the Union response?

Career path after a State of the Union response, 1982-present

Ran for president after response

Remained in Congress or as governor

Ambassador

Cabinet

Legislative leadership

Vice presidential nominee

Presidential nominee

Vice President

President

But not every awkward response deals a blow to an otherwise upward career trajectory. Bill Clinton’s pre-recorded response to the State of the Union in 1985 featured an odd format. Clinton won the presidential election just seven years later. Future vice presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden both played parts in responses during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, when group rebuttals were common. Still, the response is not always a career launchpad. Most respondents don’t make it to the White House or congressional leadership. Here is where previous State of the Union respondents went after their moment in the national spotlight.

President

Vice president

Presidential nominee

Vice presidential nominee

Legislative leadership

Cabinet

Ambassador

In Congress

Governor

Source: U.S. Senate, Bloomberg research, The American Presidency Project

Methodology: Legislative leadership is defined as the Speaker of the House or the top Democrat or Republican of either chamber. In the top graphic, respondents who achieved more than one category were included in both. Graphic only includes moves in politicians’ careers after they gave the State of the Union response, so positions and presidential runs before their rebuttals are not depicted. The first address after a president’s inauguration is not technically called a State of the Union, but rebuttal speeches to presidents’ first addresses to Congress—such as those in 2001, 2009 and 2017—are still included in the timeline.

Editor: Mira Rojanasakul