Sleepy South-County Towns Make US News's List Of Political Junky Zones

Ed Piskor / OC Weekly

​A proponent of the Lance MacLean recall (blogged about earlier today) just tipped me off to a list in published in US News and World Report last week: "10 Cities for Political Junkies." Orange County towns comprise one-fifth of the cities on the list, which seeks to document "where those obsessed with political affairs live." You might assume Santa Ana, with its GOP-run county seat hemmed in by liberal-leaning ethnic communities and activist groups, would make the cut. Ditto for Newport Beach, where you can't throw a sea shell without hitting an influential right-wing financier.

The truth, though, is that US News went for OC's two quietest, nicest-seeming cities: Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo. Huh?

The magazine's explanations for their selections really don't explain much. Basically, it seems they were included because they have highly educated populations and trend even more republican than other Orange County cities.

Mission Viejo seems like a defensible inclusion, given how much people seem to fight there about Rose Parade floats and redevelopment deals for car dealerships. Laguna Niguel though? I grew up next door; the place is lovely, but boring. My guess: US News made its decision based on Orly Taitz, who works in Mission Viejo and lives in Laguna Niguel. Who says birthers are bad for our image?