The thread title is not ambiguous.

I'm sick of defeatists in GD encouraging people not to vote
by saying it doesn't matter.

If REAL Virginians had stayed home during our last statewide
election, we'd have ended up with McAwful and more 2A
infringements.

I understand election fraud is a problem, but why do people from
our side just give up?



ETA - I don't want to call anyone by referencing a specific thread.
         I'm just baffled by how quickly people roll over.

         Also, VA has one of the most pro-2A Hometown forums,
         unlike say - D.C. and DE.

4a.m. pre-work, pre-coffee rant  

I always vote, in person. Ballot box is still important.

From what I've seen, the problem happens when a candidate's stand on issues, especially the RKBA, isn't 100% in compliance with someone's beliefs.  I hate losing ground on anything I believe is important but nobody is in total agreement with me on everything.  Not my mom, wife, brother, or even pets.  But I'm not running for office (never will) so I'm willing to vote for someone that is closest to me on my core values with the understanding that is the best available right now.  Too many absolutists won't or don't understand that concept so they refuse to vote and we end up getting screwed in the end.  The example of Youngkin is right on point.  Too many refusals to vote for a less-than-prefect candidate and we would be in a hell of a mess right now with Governor McAuliffe.

The defeatist trolling really should be a CoC violation.

I think this is why people get so dejected.  It has been the same idiotic cycle for 20+ years now.  This is the best we can hope for is heard many times.  I think there is huge interest in a true conservative party in America but the money isn't there to support it.  The Republicant party isn't conservative but does have some conservatives among its membership.  Until we can figure out how to get the true conservative and the big money to split off from the Republicants, we are stuck in this spiraling cycle.  I loathe the Republicant party nearly as much as I do the Demomarxists but since I would rather have my finger nails pulled off one at a time than vote for the D, I hold my nose and vote for the R.  We need a better option than that.  How to achieve it is the really hard question.  I don't believe the answer will be found in the R party.

Folks have lost their resolve.

They just give up.

Easier to give in, then fight any way they can.

I call it the “Woe is me syndrome”.

I honestly think the problem is selfishness and laziness. I have seen too many people use ridiculous excuses in order to not put forth any effort. And I've seen ridiculously selfish gun owners who say something like "I don't care about the proposed new law because even though it would hurt other gun owners it would not effect me because I already have what I want to own." If a small percentage of gun owners became a little more active it would be the end of future gun restrictions. But I'm not hopeful.

I hate that mentality. Just because I own several AR's, if they are grandfathered, my 8 and 5 yo wouldn't be able to buy new ones when they are older.
I gots mine is a shitty thought process on anything, even non gun issues.

That said, I'd be considered a defeatist, though I consider myself a realist. The dems got an advantage in redistricting. The state will turn blue again on all three levels. The only reason the Va Safe act failed was because they went whole hog and 4 or so "moderate" dems defected. Not because they were against it, but because they didn't know how to implement it. Let the dems get enough radical left senators to override those "moderates" and the Va Safe Act will be a reality. The 4th Circus already stated that Md's BS was constitutional. The SCOTUS won't take up and AWB and we are one Thomas death away from Roberts being a deciding vote. Assuming Trump's 3 assholes are worth anything.

All valid. And city people do not generally think like country people. But the number of city people is increasing. There's lots of stuff that could be done to help but I don't see it happening. Virginia is not unique, it's typical.

Democratic primary today.
Your choices:

Don Beyer (Incumbent)
We are beyond a crisis point with guns in America. Mass shootings in Las Vegas, Florida, Virginia Beach, and so many other American communities cause horrific tragedies that we have sadly come to expect. Yet, most gun violence does not get that level of attention. Every day, more than 124 people in the U.S. die by gunshot, totaling over 38,000 a year, many of them by suicide.

Halting gun violence has been a major focus of my work in Congress. I am a lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, legislation that would encourage states to temporarily remove access to firearms from people in crisis with a petition from law enforcement or family members.

I proudly voted for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which would expand background checks to cover nearly every gun sale. I also voted for legislation to close the Charleston loophole, which allowed prohibited persons to acquire firearms if their background check is not completed within three days, and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which closed the “boyfriend loophole” on gun sales to abusive partners or stalkers. Firm in my belief that weapons of war have no place in American communities, I am a long-time co-sponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban, and of measures to ban high capacity ammunition magazines and bump-stocks.

Victoria Virasingh
I support:

1. More background checks to prevent people with dangerous histories from owning and carrying guns
2. Prohibit the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
3. Enforce Red Flag Laws
Allow loved ones and law enforcement to intervene by petitioning a court order to temporarily prevent someone in crisis and distress from accessing guns.
4. Enact a nationwide gun registry
It is important to have a record of firearms and their owners
Invest in technology that could host records and be shared across states
5. Require firearm safety training before buying a gun
A person can often purchase a gun without ever having handled one. There should be a nationwide mandate on educating new gun owners on the risks and best practices for gun ownership.
6. Support gun violence research
This is necessary for the United States to investigate the causes and develop solutions to gun violence and repeal restrictions for law enforcement's ability to investigate and prosecute gun crimes.

?

The "defeatists" are people who use their defeatism to justify their political lethargy and inaction.

Politics isn't "fun" but it is a lot more fun than civil war or communism.

But why so routinely throw your reality on others?  Your past predictions put us in an even worse theoretical scenario that hasn't played out.  Does anything inspire you?  You are our favorite defeatist though

Honestly, with the past year, health wise and other family issues, nothing inspires me. But that is on me.
I'm always pleased to be wrong on the political winds of our great State. I look forward to voting again for Winsome Sears, hopefully for Governor.

A thread of hope and possibility in GD.