Doesn't the term "smear campaign" imply an unjustified amount of criticism in relation to minor (or even non-existing) missteps? From my point of view, the list

Doesn't the term "smear campaign" imply an unjustified amount of criticism in relation to minor (or even non-existing) missteps? From my point of view, the list of actual missteps and issues is way to long to call it a smear campaign, even though admittedly the sheer amount of sudden attacks can, at first, appear to be out of proportions. At first. Basically, the impression of a smear campaign doesn't actually make it a smear campaign.