A whistle stop or whistle-stop tour is a style of political campaigning where the politician makes a series of brief appearances or speeches at a number of small towns over a short period of time. Originally, whistle-stop appearances were made from the open platform of an observation car or a private railroad car.
Early 20th-century photograph of a whistle-stop speech at the train station in Putnam, Connecticut
Republican vice presidential nominee Theodore Roosevelt on a whistle-stop during the 1900 presidential election
Former president Theodore Roosevelt delivers a whistle-stop speech during his third party campaign as the nominee of the "Bull Moose" Progressive Party in the 1912 presidential election
1916 Republican presidential nominee Charles Evans Hughes speaking during at the train station in Winona, Minnesota while completing a whistle-stop tour on the Milwaukee Road's Olympian
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referendums are decided. In modern politics, the most high-profile political campaigns are focused on general elections and candidates for head of state or head of government, often a president or prime minister.
Presidential campaign button for Abraham Lincoln, 1860. The reverse side of the button shows a portrait of his running mate Hannibal Hamlin.
Election campaign in East Timor: Truck Rally
NDP leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe greet babies - a traditional campaign activity - at the Fête nationale du Québec in Montreal
A Conservative-led slanderous political campaign brochure for the Mayor of London