In Reply to: that makes sense.... MAGA idiots are jealous of the success.... posted by UCLATennisFan on September 19, 2025 at 22:22:34
And it continues to flourish like an unwanted weed.
IMO, HB developed its reputation via a strange brew that featured several elements, including:
- For a long time, HB was the cheapest beach town around, and it attracted lots of young people devoted to surfing, skating, and hanging out. Rents were low and there were lots of runaways. There was a Greyhound station in downtown HB, bringing a constant stream of young transients. A lot of them joined the punk movement and embraced the "Nazi punk" subculture.
- There were also some weird churches in town, including The Family (Google "Flirty Fishy"), the Calvary Chapel (as noted above), and a lot of smaller oddball churches (my wife and I still laugh about the exorbitant mini-mansion built next to a tiny little falling-apart cottage that featured a giant Church designation painted across its entire roof). Most of these churches preached a gospel that would have horrified Jesus, but fits nicely with today's MAGA crowd.
- Years ago, Congressman Dana Rohrbacher had his office in downtown HB, at the corner of Main and PCH. His presence here may have burnished the city's reputation as a right-wing haven. I assume he was attracted to the city because of its long-standing reputation for right-wing politics... but on the other hand, maybe he just wanted to have an office with an ocean view...
The above comments don't really answer the question as to why HB continues to be a have for the MAGA crowd. The ongoing gentrification here has not reversed the city's political history. I suspect it's very difficult for a city to outgrow its reputation, but perhaps the recent initiative to save the City Library is a harbinger of good things to come. I suspect it won't be fast and it won't be easy...