What is a “whispering campaign”?
In a whisper campaign, rumors, innuendo, and slanderous statements are quietly conveyed to damage reputations. Since the negative behind-the-back rumors are not made publicly, the subject may have no idea about what is being said until it is too late.
Once the candidate who is a target of this unfair tactic realizes what is being said, they find themself in a tough situation: if they publicly denounce the rumors, it calls attention to the issue. If the candidate ignores the rumors, the campaign can be damaged.
If you hear behind-the-back rumors being spread about a political candidate, don’t believe them. Call into question the ethics of the person or campaign that is spreading them.