Agreed. It seems like it may just be a PR move... Larry doesn't have Eric's growing reputation for slight creepiness. People might like the idea (whether it's true or not) that he's the one making all the calls.
He might say things that are controversial, but he's curt enough that he's not going to be misunderstood. If people disagree with him, they're a lot more likely to be disagreeing with what he actually believes rather than how the he's been sound-bited.