A reader echoes my thoughts:
I have to say while watching Rep. Leach's speech my first thought was "why didn't they pick someone with more charisma and, to be honest, an easier voice to listen to". What a silly choice right? How are we going to win Republican votes if this is the best GOP spokesman we can find. Well here is the answer.
What type of Republican is going to be interested in Obama and, much more importantly, is watching the convention. The answer is that the Republican vote that Obama can chip away at during the convention is the intellectual one.
Clearly he is making a play at the evangelical vote, he will also win some middle class GOP votes if he proves he is stronger on the economy. But a Republican who is watching one of the lesser watched speeches at the Democratic convention is one that will only vote for Obama based on strong substance and argumentation and Leach provided exactly that.
Does his voice remind me a little of Kermit the Frog? Yes. But, did he make very strong points? Absolutely. Between Barack, Hillary, Michelle, and Joe (Biden... are we on a first name basis yet?) this convention will not lack charisma. Leach brought something else, substance for the well read, politically savvy Republican who chose to watch a relatively unimportant part of the Democratic convention. Politics is about knowing your target and, in my opinion, the Obama campaign hit a bullseye with this pick.