Politics are as much a part of wrestling as they are in normal day life. At your job the ones who get far are the ones who make a point to stand out and let the boss know who he is and what he wants, whether it's through kissing ass or other ways. The people who are outspoken and don't hold back what they think are the ones that get farther, regardless if they are the best worker. You can be the best worker in the world but not get noticed if you don't say anything about it.
In terms of wrestling, it cannot be avoided. You have 40+ guys on the WWE roster all trying to stand out from the rest, make a name for themselves and get the to the top of the company. There is always going to be politics whether its good or bad. Luckily Vince is a smart enough guy to know not to push a guy just because he kisses your ass. I truly don't believe he gives a shit what people think of him, as long as his company is successful and making money, which it is.
Everyone says HHH and Cena only got to the top because they have their mouths to the bosses ear. But if you truly believe that then your a fucking moron. These dudes busted their asses to get where they are and clearly stand out from the rest of the roster. You don't get charisma, wrestling ability and entertainment skills through politics, you get it from yourself and the work you do.
Obviously this could hurt wrestlers careers. Look at RVD. He says the whole time he was in WWE he didn't politic because he was happy wherever he was as long as he was wrestling. But to say he didn't get a World Championship because he didn't politic doesn't make sense. He didn't get a World Title because their were other guys who were better than him, Lesnar, Rock, Stone Cold, Angle.
The only way politics really effects the overall wrestling product is situations like WCW. When you have guys constantly talking to the boss telling them they should be the booker, they need to be the World Champion, and he actually uses that to make his decisions, then you have a problem on your hands.
I think overall politics have changed in the sense that bookers and company owners are smarter then they were in the 80's and even the 90's. They know enough to not base your decisions on what one performer wants for themselves, but whats good for the overall product.
