Guess when this behind the scenes influence started and where?
When John Adams was VP he didn't attend Senate meetings, instead spent his time in a local coffee house.
Politicians of all stripes would stop in to learn what's what, and make plans, sort of a shadow cabinet, dontchknow.
Then Jefferson fell out, first with Washington himself, then with his erstwhile close friend Adams, got so angry he went off with Madison & others to start a new party -- called themselves Democratic-Republicans iirc.
And thus was **politics** born.
And what a doozey it was!
That election of 1800 got nasty enough ours seem pretty tame by comparison.