Former Governor Ehrlich Speaks at Lincoln/Reagan Dinner

Former governor Ehrlich speaks at Lincoln/Reagan Dinner

Posted by Dick.Myers_Editor On 05/19/2014

Bob Ehrlich likes to jokingly call himself the “representative of all living Republican Maryland governors.” Of course he’s the only one. In a heavily Democratic state, Republican governors are a rarity. The last before Ehrlich was Spiro Agnew (1967-69). There are four Republicans on the June 24 primary ballot who hope to change that.

Ehrlich was the Keynote Speaker Friday at the annual St. Mary’s County Republican Central Committee’s Lincoln/Reagan Dinner at Olde Breton Inn in Leonardtown. Ehrlich is unabashedly promoting a new book, “America: Hope for Change” and he sold and signed a number of the books during the evening.

Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. was governor from 2003-2007 before losing the last two elections to Martin O’Malley. Before becoming governor he was a congressman and state legislator.

During Ehrlich’s four years as governor, he had to buck a heavily Democratic legislature, a point noted by Maryland GOP Chairman Diana Waterman, in introducing Ehrlich. “We all know what Martin O’Malley has done since,” she added.

Waterman urged the candidates in the room to stand behind the primary winner in their race. Although she said there may be some hurt feelings, “you will have more in common with them” than with the Democratic challenger, she said.

Ehrlich said his new book was the book he wanted to write. He said members of the media are trying to portray the party as being pulled apart into factions. He said the differences were “more tactical than substantive,” adding of the noise, “In reality it is not true.”

Ehrlich said that young people are being attracted to libertarianism. “There is room for them in the Republican Party,” he observed. But Ehrlich said the real future for the party is in the Hispanic voter. “They are a very hard working people with a strong ethic. What better new part of this party,” he said. The former governor noted that FDR’s base of support was in recent immigrants.

Ehrlich called the Democratic Party’s philosophy “counter cultural. It seeks to undermine what we believe about our economy an

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