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| Volunteers working the phones at SaveExeter.org headquarters |
UPDATE: Late tonight, we got an e-mail from SaveExeter.org, saying that the gun lobby recall attempt was defeated.
All four of the Democratic Town Council members who had been targeted by the gun lobby - and state Tea Party Representative Doreen Costa (R-Fruitcake) handily beat back the recall.
The unofficial margin reported to us was 63%. The Providence Journal confirms the win and reports that more than 1800 votes - close to 40% of all Exeter's registered voters - turned out.
I don't know if many of all those voters who turned out to say NO to the gun lobby were thinking about the Newtown massacre anniversary today, but I'll bet some of them were. For me, that adds a lot of meaning to this win.
The recall election was organized by the RI Firearm Owners League, based in Cranston. They set up a front group called "We the People of Exeter" whose leaders are really mostly from out of town and include Charlestown's Raymond Bradley, owner of Brad's Guns. Click here for background.
The gun lobby group had expected perhaps 600 out of Exeter's 4,900 voters to come out to vote, but as of 2:00 PM, more than 1,400 voters had cast their ballots. Supporters came out in droves early on, partly out of enthusiasm, partly to beat the evening snow storm.
Special elections of any kind are generally lucky to attract as many as 10%.
SaveExeter.org, which was formed to defend the four Council members, wanted a big turn-out and worked hard to get it. They attracted tons of volunteers, including members of the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee, Cathy and I among them, as well as volunteers from all over the state. But we were hardly needed as there were plenty of Exeter residents ready to fight the gun lobby.
On a day like today, the first anniversary of the slaughter of innocents in Newtown, CT, that means a lot since the issue that triggered this recall was the Exeter Council members effort to try to make sure that proper background checks are conducted on persons seeking a concealed carry handgun permit.
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| Dishonest gun lobby sign - using the anti-recall group's name to put out the opposite message. The voters' answer was "NO!" |
I asked one of the Exeter Council members who is on the ballot for recall whether Save Exeter was going to fill charges with the state Board of Elections for this piece of electoral deception.
He told me that they decided from the start to take the high road and had no such plans. Of course, now that the election is over with a resounding defeat for the gun lobby, any such complaint serves no purpose, except maybe to make the point about cheating.
Save Exeter put lots of volunteers to work making get-out-the-vote (GOTV) phone calls and serving at the polling stations.
Exeter people power has prevailed over the big bucks and dirty tricks of the gun lobby.This sets up an interesting dynamic for the 2014 election.
The gun lobby wanted to make its point again that any elected official who tries to change any gun law to make the public safer will be punished. Not this time.
And Rep. Doreen Costa (R-TotalJerk), who is widely rumored to be thinking about running for statewide office, or even Congress, invested her own political capital in this campaign, even though she kept a low profile, perhaps to preserve some deniability. She got waxed, and that's not good for her political future. It sure looks like the Tea Party teapot is running dry.
Jim Costa, husband of Doreen, posted this comment on the Facebook page of our friend and colleague Tracey O'Neill after Tracey posted a "congratulations" message to the Exeter Four. His message speaks for itself:
