New York Times Gets Orange County Laughably, Stupidly Wrong

By Gustavo Arellano Tue., Aug. 31 2010 at 4:09 PM

Categories: Gunkist Memories, Illegals, Illegals, Illegals!, Immigration, Politics, The Hilarious Haters

Never forget what's in our DNA...

As someone who collects any and all articles, dissertations, and books on Orange County history, this past Sunday's Page One New York Times story on how our fair land "is no longer Nixon country" was the literary equivalent of Rick Bayless talking about Mexican cuisine in Los Angeles.

Too many people have sent me Adam Nagourney's story, in which he claims OC is no longer a retrograde conservative hellhole. Why? Because we have coloreds! Because people aren't registering as Republicans much anymore! Because of SanTana! Because Irvine has a Korean guy as mayor!

Give me a pinche break.

Nowhere in the story does Nagourney mention that Mexican-bashing remains the county's religion, much as it has for our entire history. Nowhere does Nagourney mention that the sphere of influence for the Democratic Party here only extends to where wabs roam (and those lovable old socialists at Laguna Woods), and that only Dems believe it's "only a matter of time before many Republican officeholders get swept out with the tide," as Nagourney asserts unnamed "many officials" say.

Oh, I can go on about this story--and I will!

Actually, you can hear me rail about the story mañana at 8:20 on KPFK-FM 90.7's Uprising program, but what I focus on briefly for this post is Nagourney's basic premise for his story: that the historically low registration of Republicans in Orange County means that our conservative way is going the way of Ethan Edwards.

No, it doesn't. Does anyone really believe Democrats will be able to take out any Republicans in state legislature or congressional elections that aren't part of SanTana and Anacrime? I don't like Beth Krom, but I like Congressman John Campbell even less--nevertheless, Campbell will win. I like Phu Nguyen, despise Allan Mansoor--nevertheless, even money says Menso-or gets the victory in their State Senate seat. And how will you like that, Adam? OC will have an associate of a bona fide hate group representing them in Sacramento! REAL change of the political scene there--that is, here.

And even if Orange County was somehow more liberal than in the past, what good have our so-called liberal leaders have done? The two truest Dem towns, SanTana and Irvine, are paragons of spiteful, wasteful, dirty-tricks political machines (run by friends Larry Agran and Don Papi Pulido, respectfully) that would make Daley's Chicago seem like Mayberry. The Dems spend more time playing footsie with their Republican opposition than cultivating strong candidates--hence, the painful slaughter they experience in nearly every partisan race every two years.

I can go on...but tune in mañana, instead!

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you seem to blogh more than you work Sean, that's all. "The comment was removed because it was not germaine." Yewt all those Gerbil Jerbal comments stay even though they are not germaine. Standards Sean. Try them on sometimes. If you have any ethics at all
Chmielewski, So now you are going to tell me what time I can go to lunch? Please explain how that or anything regarding my employment is any of your business. Do you have any sort of financial interest in my private sector job? Again please explain how anything to do with Mr. Tinajero is relevant. The comment was removed because it was not germaine. As far as us removing negative comments, have you not read our blog? We allow people to say negative things about us all the time as long as they are germaine to the post. We will not permit the ad hominem garbage that continually spews from your mouth and the mouths of the other cowards at your blog. Now go dig up some more emails and text messages I sent to you. That is some riveting stuff.
a 2PM lunch lunch and from various other commetns, you seem to be always on break; per the LA Times story, it wasn't a murder. But that all said, why was Judy Ware's "Usual Suspects" card scrubbed from your site. By giving money to Sal, is she no longer a "Usual Suspect?" All I'm saying Sean, we approve most comments...you guys don't.
Here's the thing- OC is definitely changing, but not in a simplistic turning-into-san-francisco manner. It comes down to this- the population is getting more young and socially liberal, but less so fiscally/economically liberal (though that's still the trend). Hence the drastic rise in Independent registration. Seriously though, compare Costa Mesa to Corona. Which one seems more liberal? OC is certainly not the homogeneous Conservative fortress it used to be. But on the other hand, the conservative minority like the Orly Taitz-es of the world seem to be getting more and more vocal. It's only made worse when shitty media portrayals of the county hand them a megaphone. In that sense, I appreciate the overall tone of the Times article, which is that shit is changing.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Best 10 years of my life were when I left. Only came back because of a family emergency. It's much worse now than it was before I left. No suprise the Queen of the Birthers is from here. OC breeds this way of thinking.
***MEMO TO THE LIBOC STALKERS: I AM AT LUNCH USING MY OWN COMPUTER SO PLEASE LET MY EMPLOYER KNOW THAT WHEN YOU FORWARD THIS TO THEM. AND THANKS FOR YOUR LOYAL READERSHIP*** Chmielewski, I am glad that Mr. Tinajero's senseless murder is fair game for you and your pals. Who cares how he was murdered? The fact is that a young man and his siblings lost their father. Again those comments were removed because they were not relevent to the post in question. They were simply posted by an anonymous coward, likely one of your friends, in an attempt to belittle Sal. The offer still stands, if you, your buddy Tommy Boy or any of the other cowards you roll with want to post the LA Times story about Sal's dad using your real names I will allow it to remain. If you continue to do so anonymously it will be removed. Thin skinned? LMAO!!! Who are the one's filing lawsuits like wussies? Here kitty kitty!
FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES.!! WHOEVER WROTE THE QUOTE "IF ITS NOT IN THE NY TIMES, ITS NOT NEWS" MUST BE A FOOL..!! NOT EVEN REPUTABLE NEW YORKERS RESPECT THE CRUMMY ARTICLES PRINTED ON THAT PAPER ANY LONGER. THE NYT IS LOSING ITS CREDIBILITY, AND ITS AS DESPERATE TO CATCH ANY KIND OF ATTENTION THESE DAYS. TWO THUMBS UP FOR THIS ARTICLE!! I WOULDNT CALL THIS COLUMNIST A WHINER IF WHAT HE SPEAKS IS NOTHING BUT TRUTH..!!!
Sean -- you should know we delete very few comments; if it doesn't violate our terms of service, it goes up. Including comments critical of us which is more than I can say for your blog. But when you see a comment up and then its gone, or an image of say Jduy Ware as a "usual suspect" that gets scrubbed after it's pointed out, well, what does that say about you guys? Nice that Noah's accidental death is fair game for you. I had always heard Sal's dad was murdered going out for cigarettes, and the Times story has a different account. And I feel bad for Sal and Sal's family that his dad wasn't there for him; the experience undoubtably shaped him to be a force for change in his family and community. But that issue isn't Sal; the issue is your policy of scrubbing comments critical of your blog. And the very thin skin you have.
I grew up in OC. This is why I live in Long Beach now. In my high school there were nearly 2000 students...only two of them were black. The Mexican kids did not hang around with the Asians or the whites--everyone self segregated. It was the most unpleasant place to live...every one uptight and living behind a wall in their house that looks just like their neighbor's. The New York Times is clueless, because from what I can see not much has changed in OC since I moved away.
I think the Times article got it exactly right. GOP registration is falling. Democrat and DTS registration is rising. Obama carried parts of Orange County that had not voted for a Democrat since FDR's second term. Even more significantly, the demographics and economics of Orange County are changing in fundamental and irreversible ways. Much of south Orange County was populated in the 1960s and 70s as the result of "white flight" from Los Angeles and other urban areas. As recently as 20 years ago, south Orange County was 99% percent white. Now the population of south Orange County is increasingly non-white and diverse. Not very long ago, the second largest employer (after Disney) was the U.S. military (with more than 10,000 personnel at El Toro MCAS alone, plus another 70,000 dependents); now the second largest employer is UC Irvine. These growing demographic groups tend to vote Democrat, especially as the Republican Party becomes more openly hostile to non-whites and non-Christians, and proposes more cuts to public education. As a citizen of Orange County, and as someone who works and is raising a family here, I see this change as a very good thing.
Chmielewski, Let me know when you guys get around to posting the details of Noah Krom's death. When other talked about it based on "eyewitness" accounts you had a fit. The murder of Sal Tinajero's father was not germaine to any of the current stories we have posted on the Orange Juice. No matter how many times Thomas Gordon or one of your other friends posts it anonymously it isn't germaine. However I'll make a deal with you or whoever else wants to post it on the OJ. Use your real name when posting and I'll leave it up. If you have the stones to put your money where your mouth is I will allow all day long, but we all know you don't.
Even if the Dems won most of the senate and assembly seats in Orange county, these Dems would be Blue Dogs or DLC types....in other words Dems by party affiliation but Repubs in deed.
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-05-28/local/me_8071_1 sal should stop saying his papi was murdered. thta's a lie
pedroza anyone can use google to find out Tinajerro's father was shot stealing cockfighting roosters. it's an LA Times story from '86.... that comment was up for hours and when I went to show my wife, it was gone. it's not sal's fault? Do you think we're stoopid or something?
Don't care what the Gray Lady says, all I need to know about OC I've learned from "Arrested Development": The naked greed, self-absorption, immorality, laziness, ignorance. Even Michael's hands were not totally clean. Could the Bluths have lived anywhere BUT here? And say what you will about Gus, but you have to admire any man who would step up and help his folks hang on to their house. How many sons of any stripe would do that, even if they more than the means?
My esteemed nemesis Gustavo "Viva La Raza" Arellano, has actually written something on which he and I agree... Suicide is now my only option.
Favorite quotation of the article: "You have areas of poverty and areas of great affluence and less of a middle." And it's no longer Nixon Country? Square that one away...
back in 1974-78 or so Dems held a majority of OC's state assembly seats
Gustavo, It's about time you got something right other than your dead-on assessment in 2004 of the controversy between Dads and Suger N Spice over Balboa Bars in Newport Beach. The NY Times piece was a piece. I agree! But we both should just except that people outside of the OC know better than we do right! (uh.. maybe not) Now since you're rising to be the Mgr. Editor (congrats) of the OC Weekly, I was wondering is there an opening for a different kind of minority columnist? Ask a White Boy? That has a ring to it don't you think? If you believe the carpetbaggers from the NY Times, the "minority voice" of the conservative right-leaning Republican side of OC deserves a voice in your utlra liberal newspaper! One other thing that I'm sure you will also agree with me on. What any journo of any experience knows, "If it's not in the NY Times, it's not News" at least to the "media elite". That "media elite" does not include you or me. If you need any tips on Newport Beach or other bastions of liberalism (insert punchline here) please feel free to give me a call. I on the other hand will continue to defer to you on the whole "SanTana" area of expertise. Any 'nombre idiota' could get that straight! B-1 Bob Dornan is still alive! (but not in the OC) Alert the NY Times! -Eric
Gustavo, As always, Mr. Proganda Minister. Are you related to the Tijuana Cartel of the Arellano Felix Crime Family?
Latinos are so divided even amongest ourselves. The 10 year old wabs are now wannabe white people. The original native born are moving away cause the crime and bullshit. The Democrats and Republicans is all the same machine. Just to make money on any bullshit promises they feed the masses. It's all about doing for yourself these days. The strong survive and the rest die off.
Gustavo -- While you are right about a lot of your criticism, I disagree with your overall premise. Change is coming to OC but it comes slowly. Patience and determination are needed. No one would have thought Democrats would come this far in 2004. Art -- whining gets you nowhere. And please tell the folks back home that you willfully violated a federal court order. When Todd is back from his paternity leave (he and his wife welcomed a son into the world Sunday night; I saw him today..cute kid!), we'll resume his paperwork for the default judgment. I could write a post a day correcting your misinformation and one sided view of the world, but why bother. Please tell me Art, why do you delete so many comments on your blog? Someone posted a link on OJ over the weekend to an LA Times story that provided details on the death of Sal Tinajero's father. I saw it and read the link while I was at my daughter's soccer game in Brea. You deleted it. How did that violate your terms of service? The Times story seemed to be written from eyewitness accounts and a police report? Or is this the Ministry of Truth protecting one of their favorites?
@Art: Can you kiss Gus's penis any harder?
And the Irvine Dems are prone to suing actual progressives, while they play footsie with Jerbal and his Red County pals...