# What happens to the QAnon movement now-- do they mutate & move the goalposts, or die out? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211 "2021-01-22T13:55:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/21 "2021-01-22T17:21:53Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Wonder why the pundit guy with eyes too close together, forget his name, was talking to Mike Rowe-- the clip didn’t show Mike’s reply so I hope Mike’s not a trumpy. Say it ain’t so, Rowe! The Dirty Jobs guy? He’s a Republican but I don’t think he ever went full Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/22 "2021-01-22T17:27:31Z")
They will effortlessly move the goalposts. It’s a cult, and cults never have a problem when their predictions turn out to be completely wrong. I know a dude on a facebook group of mine. Everything was going to go his way on Jan 20. Biden would be arrested, Trump would emerge from behind the curtain… the whole 9 yards. He posted yesterday, and that entire story went down the memory hole. NOW, it’s March 4. That’s the date of the REAL inauguration. Biden will be arrested, Trump will emerge… etc. I told him we’d talk again on March 5, when I look forward to seeing the brand new story. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/23 "2021-01-22T17:33:16Z")
They’ll keep moving the goalposts all right, that’s what cults do in the face of setbacks. This one was committed to the end of democracy and the imposition of a Trump family dynasty to rule us and protect white power. So while Donald wasn’t strong enough, the Q folks will just find another to take his place. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/24 "2021-01-22T17:45:02Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Wonder why the pundit guy with eyes too close together, forget his name, was talking to Mike Rowe-- the clip didn’t show Mike’s reply so I hope Mike’s not a trumpy. Say it ain’t so, Rowe! > > The Dirty Jobs guy? He’s a Republican but I don’t think he ever went full Trump. I found the full segment of that clip-- so the ‘eyes too close together’ guy is Brain Kilmeade, asking Mike Rowe the loaded question about Biden and unity. Mike speaks pretty eloquently on general questions of unity while carefully staying neutral and not criticizing either side: > **[Mike Rowe reflects on Biden's call for unity: It 'starts with our...](https://www.foxnews.com/media/mike-rowe-unity-starts-with-neighbors-starts-in-our-zip-codes)** > > The first step toward bringing Americans together is reengaging with those whose views diametrically oppose yours, "Deadliest Catch" host Mike Rowe told "Fox News Primetime" Wednesday.  ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/25 "2021-01-22T17:48:05Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > NOW, it’s March 4. That’s the date of the REAL inauguration. Biden will be arrested, Trump will emerge… etc. Why March 4-- is that some significant date in government affairs, or to QAnon believers? Is that the day that the true patriots “march forth” and take back the government? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/26 "2021-01-22T17:56:19Z")
It was the original Inauguration Day. Because of course the 20th Amendment (moving it to Jan 20 and having Congress swear in ahead of the President) never happened or was illicit or whatever. And they’re restoring the original Republic or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/27 "2021-01-22T18:02:09Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > It was the original Inauguration Day. Because of course the 20th Amendment never happened. And the’re restoring the original Republic or something like that. Ah, I see, thanks. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > I mean, you could use the reply to pretty much any stance QAnon has taken. The spelling errors in trump’s tweets are actually a secret code used to convey messages to them…? Ooohhhkay I saw somewhere on Inauguration morning, scanning the internet for signs of nutball chatter, a QAnon guy noticed there were 17 flags set up behind trump’s podium at Andrews AFB where he was going to give his final farewell. 17 flags…17th letter of the alphabet = Q! Proof positive…of something! Ooohhhkay ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/28 "2021-01-22T18:05:29Z")
Given that literally nothing in QAnon has any basis in reality, I can’t imagine that people who buy it will let the continuation of reality not corresponding to the conspiracy dissuade them from the conspiracy. As far as I can tell, QAnon has consisted of nothing but goalpost moving thus far. Should continue just fine. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/29 "2021-01-22T18:26:59Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > As far as I can tell, QAnon has consisted of nothing but goalpost moving thus far. Should continue just fine. Yeah, but it’s gotta sting that the messiah of the whole movement just went away with not a bang but a whimper. I mean, what would Christianity do if the predicted second coming of Christ came and went? Oh, wait… > **[Predictions and claims for the Second Coming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictions_and_claims_for_the_Second_Coming_of_Christ)** > > — Events — > — Figures — > — Events and terms — ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/30 "2021-01-22T18:37:29Z")
I must applaud Trump’s genius: by having Biden appear to\* overturn many of his (Trump’s) accomplishments, he (Trump) is giving liberals the impression that he (Biden) is _actually President_. Then when the Great Reveal happens on March 4th, and the satanic pedophiles are executed — preferably by burning at the stake — just imagine the sweet, sweet liberal tears! It’ll be a sight to behold, I tells ya! \*Since they weren’t signed using a Sharpie, none of the Executive Orders &c. are valid. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/31 "2021-01-22T20:15:35Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > In general, few people want to invest much time, effort, or money doing anything to prop up a former president. Now that Trump is gone, there will be less dark money going into Q, and fewer people who believe it or care about it. QAnon is a useful tool for controlling millions of idiots. The dark money will definitely keep it up; they’ll just redirected it to serve their next destructive cause. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/32 "2021-01-22T20:21:23Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > QAnon is a useful tool for controlling millions of idiots. The dark money will definitely keep it up; they’ll just redirected it to serve their next destructive cause. So, you’re saying that QAnon is run by the Illuminati? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/33 "2021-01-22T20:51:08Z")
The Russianati, maybe. With an assist from the Republicanati. Illuminated, they ain’t. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/34 "2021-01-22T21:02:02Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > QAnon is a useful tool for controlling millions of idiots. The dark money will definitely keep it up; they’ll just redirected it to serve their next destructive cause. I dunno. Trump is so central to the whole thing, and I don’t see it having any juice without him. I could be wrong, but I don’t see how a narcissist like Trump will ever return to the public eye after the crushing humiliation he just experienced, which will follow him forever. Plus he won’t have the backers he used to. Movement-followers don’t like losers. They especially won’t like it when Trump surfaces again with no evident plan except enriching himself and staying out of jail. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/35 "2021-01-22T21:11:07Z")
QAnon isn’t built on a foundation of trump. It’s built on a foundation of random cryptic “clues” that people are encouraged to piece together to “draw their own conclusions”. Because the conclusions are their own, they believe them easily and fervently - denying them would be to deny their own intelligence. That’s how sane people get drawn further and further in - they keep getting dopamine hits from ‘figuring things out’. (Of course, they are guided to the desired conclusions by the peer group and such, but they still feel like the ideas are their own.) The thing is, though, toss in a few new clues and you can change the whole picture. ‘Sleeper agent Joe’? Sure! New clue, new discovery, and the old one doesn’t matter because you have a new one now. These fools are fixed against outside influence but highly susceptible to manipulation from within the group. And if Trump truly becomes a liability, they’ll toss out a few clues that reframe the narrative while all the while claiming that the previous declarations of trump’s godly status were a ruse to fool the libs, and all the existing rubes can claim they knew that all along. (You know, like happened with the OK sign.) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/36 "2021-01-22T21:26:56Z")
Ah, yes, that’s the thing, QAnons and Trumplorables have an overlap, and the combination was greater than the sum of its parts, but they were not necessarily the same thing and it is to be seen whether they stick together. The Trumplorables may turn to the QAnons and say _“this is all your fault for talking about satanic baby-eaters and Dan Brown style messages, when we wanted to talk about serious things like gun grabs, bad hombres and trans people in our rest rooms!”_ Meanwhile the QAnons will have dusted off some old Lyndon Larouche pamphlet and be waving that around. And then you have the “Patriot Fighters” who were around well **before** either Trump or QAnon - _those_ will continue to exist and I don’t doubt a significant number will say _“dagnabbit, QAnon and Trump both played us!”_ and carry on with their subversive activities as they were before. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/37 "2021-01-22T21:37:17Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > The Russianati, maybe. With an assist from the Republicanati. > > Illuminated, they ain’t. This. Plus your next post. QAnon is a vehicle for highly profitable mind control of something around 30% of Americans. It’s the human equivalent of a botnet. Trump wasn’t the botmaster. He was the beneficiary of what the bots were told to do. By whoever / whatever _is_ the botmaster The people in charge of it can adjust that machine to tell their botnet what to believe and who to believe and who to distrust and who to hate and why. All the while collecting money from the bots who’re induced to buy the T-shirts, magazines, and donate to the advertised causes. QAnon, newsmax and all the rest aren’t invincible; they could screw this up and fragment their audience if they handle the transition badly enough. But at the same time they have a hell of a lot of momentum to pick up additional bots every day. They need a central rallying cause and they need one soon. I have no doubt they can spin some completely reasonable action by Biden and Congress into the RW _casus belli_ they need. Conveniently a champion will soon emerge, apparently home grown and oozing sincerity; or at least what passes for sincerity among the standard RW talking head brigade. I give it 2 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/38 "2021-01-22T21:53:04Z")
I just read the QAnon wiki page. I didn’t realize it largely revolved around Trump; I thought it was a continuation of Pizzagate (although, given that they are both CTs revolving around satanic, baby-eating Democratic pedophiles I might argue that it is). It’s hard to believe that QAnon will keep going with Trump out of the WH but I’m sure the followers will move on to the next satanic, baby-eating, Democratic pedophiles CT. The wiki page is interesting and I recommend reading it. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/39 "2021-01-22T22:33:12Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > That’s how sane people get drawn further and further in - they keep getting dopamine hits from ‘figuring things out’. Is it sane to think you can figure out a secret political plot by counting flags behind a podium and interpreting speech patterns and hand movements? That’s not real. Even if the supposed secret plot is not as wacky and the central figure not as incompetent as Q’s. I’ve heard it said that humans like to look for patterns when they don’t understand things. I guess it really is like a religion because that’s the only other similar thing that some sane people truly believe in. Even throwing all the other ridiculous Q beliefs aside, it makes NO sense that there could be a huge cabal of criminals that are so secret that even after they are tried and executed it’s not made public and sci fi surgical procedures have to be used to keep it quiet. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211/40 "2021-01-22T23:05:41Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > QAnon isn’t built on a foundation of trump. Well, but it sorta is though? The whole myth was that Trump was secretly working to take down a global crime ring. All of the breadcrumbs were crafted to recharacterize Trump’s reality of failure and weakness as a canny ruse. Foolishly enough, this myth also had a definite apotheosis with a definite expiration date that has come and gone. Moreover, their parasocial relationship with Trump will take a serious hit because of how he disavowed the Capitol rioters, failed to overturn the election, and abruptly disappeared like a chastened schoolboy. Parts of Q will continue to shamble along, as cults of mentally defectives tend to do, but without Trump as its centerpiece (and he was the centerpiece), the myth as we know it will never fully recover. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-the-qanon-movement-now-do-they-mutate-move-the-goalposts-or-die-out/931211.md?page=3)