Homeless and seemingly rudderless for months, local Republicans once again have a place to call their own, and I’m not just talking about the IHOP on Pico Canyon. The SCV Congress of Republicans has announced that it will host a grand opening party at its new headquarters on Friday, September 19.
Local Republicans used to have an office right smack dab in the middle of (somewhat) cool Old Town Newhall on San Fernando Road Main Street, but that office closed earlier this year for unknown reasons.
So where’s it located? The official Santa Clarita Valley Republican Headquarters is now located at 26027 Huntingon Lane, Suite C, in Valencia.
Huh? Where is that exactly?
It’s in the Industrial Center. Yeah. The Industrial Center!
Launching alongside the new HQ is a slammin’ new SCV Republicans for McCain-Palin 08 website, which sports familiar McCain-Palin banner ads, pleas for local restaurants to “donate food, drinks, snacks or desert,” and an announcement that the group is looking for a “Republican friendly band” for its grand opening event.
The grand opening party sounds like a lot of fun and looks like it will be attended by SCV A-listers (or their hand-picked designates.) From the site:
Join your fellow Republicans and local elected officials as we celebrate the grand opening of the Santa Clarita Republican Headquarters including a special guest appearance by Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, a representatives from offices of Congressman McKeon 25 District of California, a representative from Senator George Runner 17 District of California, a representative from Michael Antonovich Los Angeles County 5 District, Tony Strickland, State Senate and local representatives of the City of Santa Clarita. Guests will be celebrating with hors d’oeuvres, wine and cheese and more! Load up on bumper stickers and yard signs! There will be LA County Voter Registration cards, and volunteer sign-up sheets. Also, a drawing for McCain-Palin t-shirts, buttons, caps and more!
I’m not a Republican and I’m even less likely to try to attend (or sneak in for some papparazi style photos), but really, is this the best they could do for the location of their new HQ?
SCV Democrats, after all, just celebrated the opening of their brand new HQ last weekend with some 200 enthusiastic guests. They chose to open in a storefront in a distinctive (this is the SCV afterall) western-themed strip-mall fronting Lyons Avenue with transit service, sidewalks, street lights, restaurants (Final Score!!) and a popular Starbucks nearby.
Republicans though, chose to occupy office space in the unattractively named Valencia Industrial Center, which, if you’ve ever been there, isn’t exactly the funnest place to be. Consider:
- The Industrial center lacks sidewalks and pedestrian traffic. Indeed, how many potential independents will see your “McCain-Palin 08″ placards in the windows of theHuntington Lane location? Have you ever walked in the Industrial Center? You have two choices: walk on the grass or in the street. It’s truly awful.
- Bad nightlife, such that it can be in the SCV: The entire master plan for that area of town is focused on handling thousands of workers during the daylight hours, between 8-5. It’s hardly the place to be after dark when you’re, oh I don’t know, watching the election at a watch party with friends. It’s a vacant, empty, soulless and spooky place when the sun goes down. It’s the perfect place to launch a devious plan to win at the polls, however. hmmmm. maybe this wasn’t such a mistake?
- It’s far away: No one visits the Industrial Center. It’s out of the way. It’s set apart for a reason. It’s a giant void in the social fabric of Santa Clarita. I think there might be a grand total of one restaurant in the IC, and it is primarily open during business hours. What’s more, the roar of the mighty I-5 is constant
- Neighbors: A Google search of that address reveals the SCV GOP HQ will share a parking lot with a bridal shop, SCV TV, a Dentist. That’s compared to the Democratic office which shares walls with a hair salon, antique store, a Thai restaurant and the currently closed Rattlesnake Slims.
This may seem like a bunch of partisan bellyaching (and it likely is, if I’m honest with myself), but seriously! Why here? Is this the best they could do? I guess my fantasy of the SCV GOP HQ opening kitty-corner to the SCV DEM HQ and the resulting juvenile pranks between the two will remain just that, a fantasy.
Anyway, best of luck to them on their opening night. And good luck finding a “Republican Friendly Band!”