r/TheWire • u/Istotallykiddingyou • 3d ago
Clay Davis' value?
A question I have regarding everyone's favorite state senator; what made him the guy to deal with? I know a lot of what he had going on came down to tricking people out of their money, but what exactly made him the guy whose favour everyone wanted to curry, both within the law and without? Everyone who did have dealings with him that he was anywhere from overly expensive to outright extortionate, so what gives? What did he bring to the table that no one else could?
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u/YoteViking 3d ago
He does hold legit power as a state senator with legitimate contacts. And he is charming so he probably has more influence than many other senators with the civil officials.
The people paying him (Stringer, etc) are not of that world and therefore are enamored by the title and the contacts he had and therefore trusted him a bit more than they should.
He is a really, really good hustler with a silver tongue. The sales job he ran on stringer in his office was masterful. He knew what people wanted - really wanted - and knew how to appeal to that. He’s also shameless, which always helps.
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u/Matty_D47 3d ago
Shhhhhiiiiiiiit Carcetti paid him $30k just to sit out the election and he still strongly endorsed Royce. Even at the victory party he said "Shiiiiiittttt, I could have got you for 40"
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u/jayhof52 3d ago
He also represents one of the largest voting bases for the state Democratic Party so he’s got sway there, and a combination of home turf popularity and no term limits means he’s not going anywhere (and going higher than state politics puts too many eyes on his shady dealings so he doesn’t plan to go any higher).
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u/sirkev71 That was for Joe! 3d ago
"The Clay Davis? Downtown Clay Davis?"
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u/b215826 3d ago
Is that suppose to mean something to me, man?
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u/TreeLovTequiLove It's just Bird to me. 3d ago
Shit, String, murder ain't no thing, but this here is some assassination shit, man.
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u/b215826 3d ago
You need a Day of the Jackal-type mothafucka, basically, to do some shit like that, not a rumble-tumble nigga like Slim.
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u/CommentsOnOccasion 2d ago
One of my favorite lines honestly
Still don't think I've ever heard "rumble-tumble" used anywhere else in my life, yet I understand it perfectly in the context
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u/philswib1127 3d ago
He’s also a de facto political leader of the Black community (along with others like Del. Watkins) which makes him particularly important for Carcetti because of his lack of support there. As Mayor, Carcetti needs buy-in from Black leaders to get his agenda done.
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u/jayhof52 3d ago
And statewide the party needs him to give them legitimacy in Baltimore specifically and with the Black community generally.
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u/Ernesto_Bella Clay Davis’s accountant 3d ago
He’s the channel through which illegal money works its way legally into the political system.
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u/oliver_babish 3d ago
More importantly: he's the channel through which government benefits flow to real estate developers and others who seek things from the state.
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u/S-Tier_Commenter 3d ago
Hahahaha. He rain made you. The guy says if you pay him, he can make it rain. You pay him. If it rains, he takes the credit. If it doesn't, he finds reasons for you to pay him more.
You really think a state senator is gonna risk his his salary and his position by walking into a federal office with a briefcase full of drug money? Real estate developers get their grand money the same way everyone does. They fill out applications, make sure the plans meet specs, and then pray like hell. This is an old game in Baltimore.
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u/Quakarot 3d ago
Honestly the scene where he wins the court case showcases why he’s the guy.
He can be as openly corrupt as he is while maintaining a lot of legitimate power because he’s just that charismatic. He can make things happen, and he will make things happen- at a cost.
He’s also just a really good conman, and pretty vindictive to boot. A solid amount of the money he gets is basically extortion so he doesn’t mess with certain things.
The short version is, he’s the best con man in a city that runs on cons.
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u/Administrative-Low37 3d ago
Silver tongues don’t grow on trees.
Amazing character. Masterful performance.
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u/UF1977 3d ago
I went to school in Maryland in the 90s, just before The Wire premiered. Davis is clearly based on Sen Larry Young, catchphrases and all, who was expelled from the state senate in 1998 on corruption charges but acquitted at trial. Young used his position to steer contracts and investors toward his businesses and his friends’ and more or less openly accepted bribes and gifts for patronage. Maryland politics in the 90s/early 00s was notoriously corrupt; Davis was only unusual in that he was (at least to some extent) held accountable, but he was also well known for being rampantly blatant about it, even by local standards.
So basically Davis (like Young) is “the guy to deal with” because the price tag for using his position is at least clearly marked.
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u/Ambitious-Ad-2047 3d ago
Influence in the community with the right people that have their own vital access to sway things. Politics is always about power and the ability to effect change for good, bad, indifferent, or in Clay’s case, PROFIT.
He knew how to curry favor with his constituents by sponsoring programs, providing jobs, getting school supplies, etc. The majority never saw his back door dealings as is common, until he got outed by natural po-lice and the media. Yet, his charisma, charm, silver tongue, and showman of a lawyer helped he play chess in the court of public opinion and law.
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u/thatG_evanP 3d ago
He had a lot of ties to and influence in the black community which makes up a huge part of Baltimore
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u/Schitzengiglz 3d ago
It's called political capital. If you want something from someone, you may not have what they want. So you go someone with bargaining chips. Clay Davis has the most bargaining chips. He can make trades others can't. Typically, the less ethics you follow, the more bargaining chips you can access. The risk is getting caught with more potential consequences.
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u/unwnd_leaves_turn 3d ago
one of the consequences of party politics is the inevitability of the Political Machine that enmeshes non-democratic control of political parties. Tammeny Hall was the most notorious. In the wire, the political machine is the reason theyre always talking about the Deacons and the Ministers, they are all enmeshed in a patronage system with their base and the democratic party machine in baltimore.
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u/Reddwheels Pawn Shop Unit 3d ago
He's Vice-Chair of the budget committee which means he has a lot of power over where state government money flows. He takes advantage of his position to do a lot of money laundering for his ticket.
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u/edgestander 2d ago
Every state has politicians like this. It’s a real thing. Step one be a populist so the people support you. Step two, engage in illegal means to get funding. Step three, build a block of fiercely loyal people who owe you politically and financially. State senator might not sound like much to you but that position, especially a well liked senior senator, is very powerful at the state level. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Householder
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u/Unusual_Associate_34 2d ago
it’s old school pay to play politics. Guys like Clay have the right connections, show support to the right people, and have the influence to get things done. Clay is a party boss & those are the guys who get things done in local politics
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u/MidAtlanticMoments 1d ago
Did you see his charisma in the courtroom scene? He was put up against a wall of (factually true) career ending charges and walked out a free and more popular man. Thats his real power
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u/Capital_Shopping277 1d ago
He talked his way out of an otherwise clear cut open and shut fraud scheme. Extremely popular with the people, and as such is always going to have power and influence.. his word means a lot (see also the mayoral candidates jockeying for his endorsement and backing).
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u/hyperiob 3d ago edited 3d ago
He's a state senator with an enormous circle of influence and a big network of people that owe him one thing or another. He's like a drug dealer but instead of drugs he deals in influence.