Charlie Sykes and the Trial of #NeverTrump

MILWAUKEE - Donald Trump is running one-man race to finish with the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the first-ballot GOP presidential nomination, and many are speculating that Tuesday's primary in Indiana could put him well on track to meet his goal.

Trump's success is anything but a given, but polling numbers suggest he’s ahead in Indiana and poised for a campaign-defining win there.

A loss in Indiana will hinder his chances to get the delegates he needs, and if he falls short by the GOP convention, many speculate he may not get the nomination at all.

WTMJ conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes - and a host of other statewide radio personalities - took to the airwaves, online, in print and on television, posing as a huge thorn in the side of the GOP frontrunner in Wisconsin. Many have given credit to their daily inoculations of the “Party of Trump” for leading to his double-digit loss to rival Ted Cruz in Wisconsin.

Whether you agree with his commentary or not, and whether you love him or hate him, Sykes' audience and reach in the state puts him out front of what the New York Times calls "The 6 Radio Hosts on a Mission to Stop Donald Trump in Wisconsin."

Sykes' criticism of Trump is nothing new. He has been a local leader of the #nevertrump movement, and has been consistently an outspoken critic of the candidate.

Before the Wisconsin primary, Trump clashed with Sykes in a contentious interview that has gained legs online as being "embarrasing to Trump," and characterizing Trump as "Walking into a #nevertrump Buzzsaw."

“I feel very strongly that Donald Trump poses a fundamental challenge to the conservative movement, an existential challenge, so, yes, I have made it my mission to stop him,” Mr. Sykes told the New York Times in April.

Above is a map showing how Wisconsin voted in the April primary election.

WTMJ boasts one of the largest coverage areas in the nation. Its daytime "city-grade" signal reaches most of the eastern third of Wisconsin, including Madison and Green Bay, and it provides coverage to most of the eastern two-thirds of the state.

You can see from the map that this description could very well also be used to describe where Trump fared most poorly in the state. It must be noted, however, that there has been no direct correlation established that links Trump's poor performance in WTMJ's primary listening area with the performance of WTMJ's on-air personalities - or those of other lakeside stations.

However, Matt Batzel, executive director of the conservative advocacy group American Majority Wisconsin, recently told Politico.com “You can literally see the lines of voting for Republican where the radio waves literally end. [WTMJ's] listenership is certainly very high and informs the voters’ decision making.”

And while Sykes has gone on record saying “I’m more anti-Trump than pro-Cruz,”a Trump win in Indiana has the potential to back Wisconsin GOP voters into a corner: having to choose between two candidates: one Republican and one Democrat — and strongly disagreeing with both.

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