• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, January 14, 2016

The GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union highlighted divisions within the party and “doubled down” on a rejection of the angry conservatism espoused by the front-runners.

Tapped by Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley spoke to the nation in response to the President's address on Tuesday night.

Many were impressed with her measured and self-reflective tone, as well as her clear rejection of the GOP front-runners’ rhetoric on the campaign trail.

If Google searches say anything about her ability to pique voter interest, The Washington Post reported that searches for Gov. Haley surged Tuesday night, outpacing both Donald Trump and Barack Obama searches.

Whether that was Republicans found a conservative they can support, or the general public curious about Gov. Haley is difficult to know. GOP leaders gave Gov. Haley a platform to introduce herself to the wide public and she used it effectively.

As was expected, talk of Gov. Haley as a vice presidential candidate gathered steam following her address.

It was the second nationally televised political address of the night, and the second time the excitement about Trump was challenged. She cautioned Americans to reject “the siren call of the angriest voices” -- a clear jab at the GOP front-runner.

The GOP establishment has, using David Frum’s term from a piece published in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue of The Atlantic, “doubled-down.” Frum spells out several options the Republican party has to address the Trump problem.

The first is doubling-down on a measured GOP policy: “Maybe Jeb Bush has just been a bad candidate … Maybe the same message and platform would have worked fine if espoused by a fresher and livelier candidate.”

As we approach the Iowa caucus on Feb. 1, this looks to be the establishment position. The Republican leaders picked a speaker who opposes the xenophobic and aggressive talk delivered by the most successful Republican campaigns.

As John Dickerson of “Face the Nation” put it: “This wasn’t a response to the President, this was a response to the Republican front-runner.”