(CNN) No matter what happens in the next year -- or even the next five years -- of Donald Trump's time in office, the first paragraph of his political obituary will contain this sentence (or something close to it): "Trump was impeached by the House on December 18, 2019, becoming only the third president in history to be so admonished."

That the historic vote was preordained and that it was preceded by six-plus hours of name-calling, vitriol and partisan ugliness shouldn't distract you from that basic fact. And this one: The impeachment of Trump (and subsequent Senate trial) will mark a clear fissure in his presidency, our politics and the country. In the future, we will think of the Trump presidency as "before he was impeached" and "after he was impeached."

Now, that doesn't mean that the historic action -- and it is historic, regardless of whether you agree with it -- will change much of anything day-to-day in Washington. In fact, one of the most striking things about Wednesday was how normal it all felt. Trump tweeting insults at his political opponents and quote-tweeting praise from his favorite Fox News shows. Republicans defending the President -- facts be damned. Democrats insisting that they were doing the right thing, as opposed to the politically savvy thing.

For such a historic day, it all felt mundane. "It doesn't really feel like we're being impeached," Trump joked at a campaign rally in Michigan on Wednesday night.

Maybe that's how history always looks close up. Less memorable and glamorous -- and more gritty and glum -- than hindsight makes it look.

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