John Oliver’s “Make Donald Drumpf Again” segment became something of a rallying cry during the presidential election and remains a popular hashtag on Twitter. The meme, is based in the amusing fact that generations ago the Trump family name was Drumpf. Oliver explains the purpose of the meme as:

“If you are thinking of voting for Donald Trump, the charismatic guy promising to make America great again, stop and take a moment to imagine how you would feel if you just met a guy named Donald Drumpf — a litigious serial liar with a stream of broken business ventures and the support of a former Klan leader who he decide whether or not to condemn. Would you think he would make a good president or is the spell now somewhat broken?”

In short, it was intended to help people mentally divorce Donald Trump the man from Donald Trump the brand, and re-brand it with a name “far more reflective of who he is.”

Oliver is correct in identifying the power in the Trump brand. This is similar to an observation made by Lord Varys, the spymaster of Game of Thrones fame, when he said, “Power resides where men believe it resides.” However, in the case of Donald Trump, an inverse case can also be argued. The power of the Trump brand was not believed in by some of the most powerful people in the United States and the DNC has now suffered its own Red Wedding for it. The power of Donald Trump is fed both by people’s belief in him and others’ disbelief.

The power of Donald Trump is fed both by people’s belief in him and others’ disbelief.

Not only is Trump the president-elect, but he won’t be the first president to have run failed businesses, to be called a serial liar, or to remain silent on a KKK endorsement (he did denounce David Duke’s support later). So yes, perhaps it is difficult to imagine Donald Drumpf in the Oval Office, but if any spell has been “somewhat broken” it is the idea that a man like Trump can’t win the presidency.

It’s time to acknowledge that not only will he literally be the most powerful man in the world on inauguration day, but that he has never been Donald Drumpf. It was Donald Trump who in a single election destroyed both the Democrats’ and Republicans’ respective dynasties of choice. Forgetting that is only going to lose more elections.

Beyond this, the Drumpf meme indicates a hostility towards Trump, his policies, and his supporters. And while it is anyone’s right to hold such hostility and to express it, displaying it so flippantly is unlikely to be particularly productive. After all, he won the presidency, the GOP now controls most of the government, and while he did lose the popular vote, well over 60 million people, who aren’t going anywhere, voted for him.

What Trump voter would be swayed to reconsider when members of the other major party (and HBO comedians) are telegraphing such hostility? What progressive policy stands a better chance of making it through the legislature as a result of making fun of Trump’s ancestral name? What is this solving?

It’s time to drop the Drumpf and argue with ideas unburdened by distracting name calling.

I should specify that as a writer I am not remotely suggesting that anyone should feel they are not allowed to call him Drumpf. I’m not arguing that it’s not funny, or that it’s inappropriate to crack jokes with your Facebook friends. What I am arguing is that we must acknowledge the real Donald Trump or we will forget who he is and lose all ability to effectively oppose him. The moment you’re in a serious conversation about politics, it’s time to drop the Drumpf and argue with ideas unburdened by distracting name calling. That is, if you want anyone to actually listen to you.