You're going to read a lot about our experiences last night tomorrow, when the dead-tree edition of this infernal rag appears. Today? A buncha lists breaking down what was a giant win for Democrats last night, but also conservative victories that ensure this county is slowly, truly becoming an egalitarian place for all.
And so…ROLL CALL! We'll bust out a lot of lists today, but first: the five best wins for democracy in OC last night, a night we're having trouble remembering due to the massive hangover throbbing through our brain…
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1. Fullerton's Measure W loses
Measure W would've allowed the development-happy city council to allow tracts on Coyote Hills, one of the last untouched spots in Fullerton. Chevron owns dem darn hills, and spent $1.5 million convincing Fullertonians to shove in more unsightly suburbs, but thanks to a truly grassroots effort, Measure W got spanked the way Chevron has spanked its customers for the past decade.
2. Anaheim Council Candidate/Dirty Cop Steve Chavez Lodge Loses Badly
We'll have more to say about Lodge in a coming post, but just a quick reminder: Lodge was the Disney-backed half-Mexican who had never professionally used his maternal surname until this election, sued for the right to use it, then explained away his past as a dirty cop who beat up jaywalkers and put innocent men in jail as just being part of the job. Despite being backed by Anaheim's corporate overlords and running on a slate with eventual winner (and ultimate tool) Jordan Brandman, Lodge finished a dismal fourth–HAHAHAHAHA!
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For the past decade, Irvine's Boss Hog, Larry Agran, has confounded political onlookers with how he's maintained a stranglehold on Irvine politics and the rainmaker, the Great Park, despite living in a city where Republicans dominate the voting ranks. Apologists pointed out that Irvinites love living in paradise, and Agran offered that, never mind all the fake candidates he to maintain his grip.
But now, the machine is done for the time. Not only did Agran lose his chance to regain the mayoral seat to councilmember Steve Choi despite the presence of a conservative shadow candidate designed to siphon votes away from Choi, but Larry even lost his council majority, ensuring the money will soon dry up on the Great Park. And for the third election cycle in a row, Larry couldn't get his token minority on the council. You can't blame him for trying to appeal to Irvine's many minorities: in 2008, it was a Muslim; in 2010, a Persian; 2012, a Chinese. What's coming in 2014–a Latino? Wait: they don't live in Irvine…
4. Costa Mesa's Measure V Goes Down
Yes, yes: we don't cover Costa Mesa's nasty politics enough, and when we do, we can't seem to please anyone because our position ain't with one side (Jim Righeimer is an ideologue pendejo, but at least he brought down the police helicopters) or the other (we're pro-union, but public employees aren't sacrosanct. But Riggy's obsession with the unions is a bit much, so we applaud the wholesale rejection of Measure V, which would've made Costa Mesa a charter city and thus easier for Riggy to privatize city jobs. The anti-union folks still constitute a majority on the city council, though, meaning Costa Mesa's clusterfuck will continue for at least two more years.
5. Sharon Quirk-Silva Seems to Have Upset Chris Norby
We're saving this one until the end because the razor-thin result hasn't been verified, because we actually like sitting state assemblyman Chris Norby, and because Fullerton mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva is mad at us for reasons we won't disclose just yet because we also like her, but if the results of last night hold true, Quirk-Silva's victory will represent a tectonic shift in Orange County politics. It will mean that the Democrats' doughnut around SanTana and Anaheim that guarantees them a state assemblymember, state senator, and Loretta Sanchez will have extended to Fullerton. It will mean that Democratic Party of Orange County chair Frank Barbaro will have to admit that the future of his party is Latino and not hoist career politicians like Tom Daly (whom we also like, but he has no business being the donut's news assemblymember–that should've gone to Julio Perez. And it will mean that Democrats will have two state assemblymembers in Orange County for the time since…I think EVER, or at least since the days of the Dixiecrats. We do hope Quirk-Silva pulls this one out–and let's catch up and make up, ¿que, no?
