| Paul Schiraldi/HBO |
Just in case there was any doubt where David Simon got all those searing storylines about big-city politics, “The Wire” creator left no doubt at a Q&A on Wednesday night at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association headquarters.
Simon made clear thatwhen fictitious Baltimore Mayor Tommy Carcetti cooked the crime numbers to get elected, it was rooted in what he said was former real-life Mayor Martin O’Malley massaging his own crime stats in preparation for his run at the Maryland governor’s mansion.
Recommended Stories
“That was all O’Malley,” Simon told the VIP crowd, which had just gotten a sneak peek at the series’ penultimate episode.
Not that Simon didn’t vote for O’Malley. “He was the Democrat,” said Simon, who’s taken “Sopranos” mastermind David Chase’s spot as TV’s current genius du jour. “You know where I’m coming from.”
When asked if he’d vote for Carcetti, he sounded a similar note: “If he ran against a Republican, probably.”
As “The Wire” wraps up, Simon also said he’d advise other writers to “write to an ending,” rather than leave viewers hanging about whether the show will be back for another season. With a definite end, he said, “You get this wonderful star turn where everyone thinks you’re the shiznit.”
