This is an opinion column

On the heels of my last column about Tuberville’s fumbling about with “white nationalism,” I was shocked to see a number of individuals arguing that Democrats and the liberal media have defined white nationalism negatively to smear Republicans. While the term is regularly misapplied and used as a political tool, playing games with the term “white nationalism” is the height of stupidity.

Being white and loving America doesn’t make you a white nationalist, but suggesting that liberals have somehow co-opted an otherwise reasonable term is false.

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The term “white nationalism” has been a fixture in sociology for at least 70 years. In 1948, T.C. Robertson wrote about the threat of white nationalism in South Africa only a few years after the Nazi’s had been defeated. White nationalists support a white ethno-state created through either exclusion within an existing nation or the establishment of a separate one.

Neo-Nazis, Patriot Front, what’s left of the Ku Klux Klan are a few examples of white nationalists. Thankfully they’re not particularly numerous or influential in America.

Politics have indeed devolved into a bizarre team sport these days, but acting as if white nationalism has some positive associations that Democrats don’t recognize is simply irresponsible.

It’s not hard to play semantic games with commonly used word combinations. The word “white” is a color. The word “power” is strong. Combine the two, and you have a commonly known supremacist chant that isn’t and shouldn’t be acceptable in American society.

We make up new words and redefine language all the time. For example, my boys curiously believe that “cap” means “lie.” Nobody should have any interest in reclaiming and redefining “white nationalism.” It should be left to rot in the dustbin of history.

Here’s another phrase to keep in mind: “Brand and discredit.” It’s a common strategy that has existed as long as politics itself. Ever wonder why Republicans paint Democrats with the broad brush of socialism? It’s the same reason Democrats gleefully brand Republicans as racist for opposing programs like affirmative action. Branding a political opponent with a commonly understood negative and using it to discredit them is undeniably effective.

Actual proponents of white nationalism shouldn’t be able to hide because the term is overused. At the same time, no American should act as if the term hasn’t been well defined for decades.

Smith is a recovering political attorney with a house full of boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. He’s a partner in a media company, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to [email protected] or @DCameronSmith on Twitter.