D.C. Beckons Party-Goers of All Stripes

Their invitations aren’t even in the mail. But leading Orange County political activists--many of them Republicans--who supported Bill Clinton are already dusting off their dancing shoes, choosing ball gowns and making Washington hotel reservations.

It’s time to prepare for the inaugural ball. Held on inauguration night, the glittering January event is actually a series of galas staged at facilities around Washington.

But don’t look for the Clinton soiree to be of the $15-million plus variety that christened the George Bush and Ronald Reagan presidencies.

“I have a feeling the ball won’t be as lavish and pompous as the three past balls,” says Janice Johnson of Laguna Beach, who plans to attend the festivities with her husband, Roger Johnson, chairman of Western Digital. “It will be subdued. The economy, you know.”

(As Republicans for Clinton, the Johnsons--along with developer Kathryn Thompson and Orange County Supervisor Harriett Wieder--have raised political eyebrows around the country.)

The economy indeed. With their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, social soothsayers are predicting the galas will feature rubber chicken since it’s poulet that fuels the Arkansas economy.

But when all the votes are in, it isn’t what one eats that counts on inauguration night. It’s where one parties. According to Bob Nelson of Dana Point, national co-chairman of Republicans for Clinton, the hot ticket, besides the inaugural ball, will be the Arkansas ball. “Several states have their own balls,” Nelson explains. “When Bush was inaugurated, it was hot to be at the Texas ball. With Reagan, it was the California ball.”

But even when you’re at the in ball, it can be a tough night, says Wieder, who has attended the past three inaugural galas.

“They’re not glamorous,” she admits. “They’re a zoo. About the most exciting thing that ever happened to me at an inaugural ball was getting bumped by Barbara Sinatra.

“Then there was the year we attended the California ball at the Smithsonian. We were promised box seats, which sounded terrific. It turned out the ‘box’ was four standards and a rope surrounding a table with a bucket of champagne. We were even right by the escalator! And in 1988, it was a shame to get dressed up it was such a crush.”

But Wieder is ready to dress up again. “If I can’t get into the gown I wore to the Bush gala, I’ll buy something new,” she says. And yes, she’ll wear fur--a black, ankle-length mink coat. “It can be freezing cold in Washington,” she says. “One year, they had to cancel the inauguration parade because it was so cold the musicians couldn’t blow air through their horns.”

Nelson also expects to attend the gala that will honor Vice President-elect Al Gore. Traditionally, the vice-presidential salute is held two nights before Inauguration Day, Nelson says. “And the night before the inauguration is a gala entertainment event that will feature a lot of stars.”

The Clinton inauguration will be Nelson’s third. For him, the biggest challenge is always “finding a taxi.”

Jolene and Dick Engel of Newport Beach plan to fly to Washington in their Lear jet. “We’ll be firing it up and maybe taking some people with us,” said Jolene, a Democrat who co-chaired an Orange County luncheon for Hillary Clinton.

“I found Hillary very strong, very intelligent,” Jolene says. “She’s from Chicago, where I’m from, and you know how nice those Midwestern women can be,” she jokes.

A fashion pacesetter who prefers one-of-a-kind silhouettes, Engel will shop at Fred Hayman in Beverly Hills for her gala gown.

Janice Johnson, the arts activist who co-chaired the fifth anniversary celebration of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, will wear the green Stephan Yearick gown she planned to wear at the anniversary gala. “It came three months (late),” she says. “It’s a simple sheath with a chiffon skirt and bugle beads.”

Vernon Jordan, a leader of Clinton’s transition team, will be happy to see her, she says. “When we were in Arkansas on election night, he told Roger he’d better buy me a ball gown,” Janice says.

Because of their activism on behalf of Clinton in Orange County, a.k.a. Republicansville, do the Johnsons expect special treatment during the inaugural festivities?

“Who knows?” Janice says. “It’s all politics. But this I know: Bill Clinton has a soft spot in his heart for Orange County. He’ll never forget us, that’s for sure.”