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Bob McDonnell, the 71st governor of Virginia -- attended the University of Notre Dame on an ROTC scholarship, graduating with a B.B.A. in Management in 1976. McDonnell was selected to give the Republican Party's response to President Obama's State of the Union address tonight. McDonnell also has a M.S.B.A. and M.A./J.D. degrees and is a former Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. Prior to taking office as Governor on January 16th, McDonnell served Virginia as its Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. This is a significant political honor for McDonnell, potentially thrusting him into the Presidential candidacy conversation.