I took some time out from writing today to read some articles about the anniversary of what happened in Washington one year ago. I saw a lot of people saying things I would have said here if I hadn't seen so many people saying them.
I have no interest in the debate over whether it was an "insurrection" or a "riot." Whatever it was, it was shameful and should never happen again. And the folks who did it should be punished as thoroughly as the folks who backed Trump would have wanted the participants punished if Biden supporters had been out there protesting a Trump win.
The ones who think Trump won remind me of that line that made the rounds back in '68 when Nixon was first elected president. Some prominent author — it may have been Pauline Kael — was widely-quoted as saying, "I don't see how he won. I don't know anyone who voted for him!"
Since 1/6/21, I have had a few occasional phone or e-mail debates with "Trump wuz robbed" people who are absolutely certain…and absolutely unbothered that every single promise of proof has turned up empty. It doesn't matter how many times Trump lawyers lost in court, even in courts presided over by Trump appointees. It doesn't matter that even the Fox News poll showed Biden ahead by 8-10 points just before Election Day. It doesn't matter how many otherwise devout Trump supporters (including his own Attorney General) say there's no proof. They're sure there's proof and they don't have to see it to know it exists somewhere.
Like me, you probably see no point in arguing with these people. Most of 'em are the ones who, when Science tells them something they don't want to believe, insist Science is deliberately lying. I liked President Biden's speech today. I don't expect it to change any minds that refuse to change but it might cause Democrats to yell back a little louder and to fight a little harder.