Careers as a Political Influence
What does a career in modern politics look like in the age of the Internet, and numerous forms of multimedia? In the past decades, political commentators were limited to the media sources of their time, namely newspapers, television and radio. In the modern era, however, political commentary spans across not just these mediums, but also social media, cable and network television, mobile applications and Internet radio and podcasting. For a political commentator like Andrew Napolitano, a career in politics and journalism can look like many different careers, or an odd combination of many. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Napolitano received a B.A. from Princeton, and a JD from Notre Dame. He briefly taught law at Delaware Law School, and later became a Supreme Court judge in New Jersey. Upon resigning from the bench to pursue private practice, he then focused on a writing, teaching and television career, teaching at both Seton Hall University and Brooklyn Law School. He was briefly considered for a seat on the United States Supreme Court, but was later passed over for Brett Kavanaugh. He appeared on the syndicated court show “Power of Attorney,” and later joined Fox News as an analyst. He further went on to appear on talk radio show “Brian and the Judge,” and hosted “Freedom Watch” on the Fox Business channel. Napolitano frequently espouses a conservative viewpoint, and has commented not only on present events, but also historical events. These commentaries have always ensured a lively debate, which occasionally has ensured Napolitano’s participation in, and rejection from, various shows and political endeavors at different times. He is also a prolific author, having written nine books on various political topics.
Based on what we see of Napolitano, and using his career as an example, we can now see that the modern political career looks very different today than it did in years prior. It is imperative, it would seem, to ensure that one’s name and face remains well known across as many avenues of delivery as possible, for not everyone watches network news, and not everyone makes use of social media. Napolitano has managed this very well, appearing on television, radio, podcast, social media, and in print with his own books. Expertise is also important, as we see Napolitano holds several advanced degrees and climbed to a high level within his own field of law, as well as teaching, which ensures that many generations of students in his field know his name and his work. Furthermore, another defining factor in the political career of a man like Judge Napolitano, is the willingness to form an opinion, argue it successfully and stand by it when one has a reasonable amount of information on the subject. Many in political careers of various kinds are willing to change opinions rapidly if it advances their careers, but being willing to stand by one’s convictions takes far more effort. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Andrew Napolitano’s political stances, it is undeniable that his career has been successful by anyone’s standards.