For the 29th or 30th time in Robert Ehrlich?s 20-year political career, Professor Rick Vatz?s “Persuasion” class at Towson University heard from the man who is now governor and thinks he?s learned a thing or two about persuasion.
“Let?s just pretend I have a hostile major newspaper in my state,” Ehrlich told the large lecture hall. Vatz, an unabashed fan and friend of Ehrlich, had already introduced him with a five-minute rant about The (Baltimore) Sun which won?t print the professor?s letters.
“What are the means available to me” to communicate with the people? Ehrlich asked the students. Not those annoying scribes of the print media ? “there?s a human being between me and my audience.”
Ehrlich says he likes TV, and he hired the first press secretary in recent history with a background in television, Greg Massoni. But Ehrlich says he simply loves talk radio, and he appears on dozens of talk-radio shows a week.
Top university officials, including Towson President Bob Caret, attended Ehrlich?s talk. “You must want another building,” Ehrlich said to Caret in greeting.
“I take grief in Annapolis for being too pro-Towson,” Ehrlich said. Towson received more money for projects out of the legislature this year than any other state university.
Student Eric Kulczynski asked Ehrlich if he had seen the movie “Brokeback Mountain.” The governor laughed and said, “The last two movies I?ve seen were Disney.”
