Governor Bob McDonnell is the new darling of the Republican Party.

McDonnell’s near historic victory over Democrat Creigh Deeds in a state that was trending to the Democrats over the past three election cycles put him on the radar of many national Republicans. Combine that victory with his charismatic speaking style and ability to emphasize a moderate image and you have a role model of how a Republican can get elected.

As such, he’s frequently mentioned as a rising star in the GOP and he’s started cropping up on some of the national talk shows.

This week, we’ll see more evidence of the spotlight on Gov. McDonnell. Congressional Republicans selected him to deliver the response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address Wednesday night.

He’s certainly not the first Virginian to receive this job. In 2006, newly elected Governor Tim Kaine delivered the Democrat’s response to President Bush’s address. Sen. Jim Webb gave the response the falling year after his defeat of Sen. George Allen.

But, is this an assignment McDonnell really wants? Delivering the response to a State of the Union address can be a dicey proposition. Rarely do we remember these responses unless they are awful.

Case in point: former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius gave the Democrat’s response in 2008. Until that point she was considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. But, her performance was stiff and she looked out of place. Many said it was one of the reasons she wasn’t picked as Barack Obama’s running mate later that year.

And then there’s Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. He gave the Republican’s response last year. Until that speech, many GOP strategists were falling all over themselves praising the young, smart governor. But, Jindal came off as very green. The pitch of his voice was slightly irritating and he looked terribly uncomfortable. And the staging of the speech looked amateurish. People almost immediately stopped mentioning him as a 2012 presidential contender.

How will Gov. McDonnell do? Having watched him over the past year as he campaigned for office and assumed power in Richmond, my bet is that he will do just fine. I would expect a smooth speech that resembles his inaugural address: a strong argument for smaller government, a pitch for job creation, and a call for fiscal conservatism and no new taxes.

If he makes it through the night and no one remembers what he said or how he did, his advisers can call the entire affair a success. Because remember, it’s usually the bad responses that stick out. I mean, do you really remember what Jim Webb said three years ago?