Newly elected Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has been picked to deliver the State of the Union response for the Republicans. Let me be the first to offer condolences. It’s a thankless task and fraught with peril. As I’ve noted before, many a political career has been stalled by a mediocre outing. But hopefully someone on McDonnell’s staff has nixed using any setting that might give the appearance of an antebellum mansion, and no one will let him walk down the stairs like a prom queen.

But jokes aside, McDonnell is as a fairly savvy choice for a number of reasons. First, he’s not likely to screw up. This is a highly disciplined politician who survived the Washington Post onslaught and an avalanche of negative ads, never losing his cool during the campaign. He won by not just stating his opposition to Obama’s agenda but explaining why ordinary voters should oppose it too. That is precisely the task he’ll have in responding to the State of the Union.

Second, McDonnell won big in November, showing that there’s a viable Right-Center coalition that can turn out a large majority for Republicans in states that just a year ago went comfortably for Obama. In the wake of the Scott Brown mega-upset, that’s a powerful message and encouragement for those waging — or contemplating waging — battles around the country.

And finally, McDonnell’s tone is perfect for this sort of thing — calm, pleasant, upbeat, and reasoned. (Hey, if Obama goes partisan firebrand, McDonnell could be construed as the one with the superior temperament.) That too was part of his appeal last November with both women and suburban independent voters who don’t much like fiery rhetoric.

McDonnell married both populist anger and smart policy to win a key swing state. That’s a model Republicans want to advertise — and why McDonnell was given the spot. If he avoids the pitfalls of those who came before him (save the props, don’t aim too high, avoid quirky behavior), he and his party will get a lift, albeit a small one, considering that not a whole lot of people remember the response to the State of the Union anyway. Unless it’s really bad.