Daniels delivers GOP State of the Union response

Gov. Mitch Daniels brought the eyes of the nation to Indianapolis two weeks sooner than planned Tuesday night.

“Greetings from the home of Super Bowl XLVI,” he said.

Daniels gave the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s third State of the Union address from Indianapolis.

The governor towed the party line and preached fiscal responsibility and the strength of the GOP.

“2012 must be the year we prove the doubters wrong,” Daniels said. “This year, it falls to Republicans to level with our fellow citizens about this reality: If we fail to act to grow the private sector and save the safety net, nothing else will matter much.”

Daniels’ repeated mention of 2012 and the Republican Party in the new year was not a mistake; with the GOP in a tumultuous primary, Daniels tried to assure voters that a vote for a Republican in November would be a vote for a stronger economy.

Obama’s speech was also reminiscent of the spirit that surrounded his campaign in 2008. He began his speech with a list of his national defense accomplishments including removing American troops from Iraq and killing Osama bin Laden.

The president also talked extensively about the class divide and instituting economic fairness through tax increases for the wealthy.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” Obama said.

Daniels, on the other hand, called out to voters by advocating for lower tax rates across the board.

“We do not accept that ours will ever be a nation of haves and have-nots; we must always be a nation of haves and soon to haves,” Daniels said. “If we drift, quarreling and paralyzed, over a Niagara of debt, we will all suffer, regardless of income, race gender or other category.”