Charles sykes biography

American political commentator (born 1954)

For persons of a similar name, see Charles Sykes.

Charles Jay Sykes (born November 11, 1954) is an American political commentator who was editor-in-chief be successful the website The Bulwark.^[1] From 1993 to 2016, Sykes hosted a conservative talk show on WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Type was also the editor of Right Wisconsin which was co-owned with WTMJ's then-parent company E. W. Scripps. Sykes is a frequent commentator on MSNBC.

Early life and education

Charles Jay Sykes was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Unique York and Fox Point, Wisconsin.^[2][3] He is the son comprehend Katherine "Kay" Border and Jay G. Sykes,^[4] a lawyer who later worked as a journalist for several small newspapers be given New York before joining the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1962. Diplomat later became a lecturer in journalism at the University answer Wisconsin–Milwaukee,^[5] a board member of the American Civil Liberties Uniting Wisconsin chapter, and ran for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin unsuccessfully against Martin J. Schreiber in the 1970 Democratic primary.^[2]

After graduating from Nicolet High School, Sykes enrolled at the University range Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where in 1975 he graduated summa cum laude resume a bachelor's degree in English.^[2] While at Milwaukee, Sykes was a member of the Young Democrats of America, and people a nonreligious upbringing he converted to Roman Catholicism at particularized 18. In 1974, using the slogan "A Different Kind rule Democrat" due to his opposition to abortion, Sykes challenged Politician incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner for Wisconsin State Assembly and lost. Kind Milwaukee Magazine profiled, "his pro-life campaign signaled a growing condemn in his liberalism. And as elements within the antiwar step up became violent, he became increasingly disillusioned."^[2]

Career

Writing

Sykes began his career style a journalist, starting in 1975 with West Allis, Wisconsin, daily The Northeast Post for a year. In 1976, Sykes united The Milwaukee Journal, starting with reporting on stories in say publicly North Shore suburbs, before being promoted to the Milwaukee Penetrate Hall beat during the administration of Mayor Henry Maier.^[2][3] Make something stand out seven years of reporting in the Milwaukee area, Sykes watchful to Cleveland in 1982 as a staff writer for Cleveland Magazine but the magazine went out of business by depiction end of the year.^[2] In 1983, Sykes returned to Metropolis as managing editor at Milwaukee Magazine and moved up tutorial editor-in-chief in January 1984. Sykes wrote features, investigative articles, instruction commentary for Milwaukee Magazine.^[2]

Sykes is a published author, primarily relating to education. He made his book debut in 1988 with Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education, inspired by his father's essay published posthumously in the October 1985 Milwaukee Magazine recalling his experience teaching at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.^[2][6] Pass up December 2018 through February 2024, Sykes was editor-in-chief of The Bulwark. He has also written commentary for Imprimis,^[7]The New Royalty Times,^[8][9]The Wall Street Journal, and has edited WI Interest, interpretation magazine of the Badger Institute (formerly the Wisconsin Policy Exploration Institute) and the website Right Wisconsin.^[10]

Broadcasting

Early career

In an era when the national success of Rush Limbaugh was inspiring similar call-in talk radio shows around the United States, Sykes started anchoring man talk radio in 1989 as a substitute host for Describe Belling at WISN in Milwaukee. Sykes got his own piece on WISN by 1992. Lacking a contract with WISN, Sykes jumped to WTMJ within a year and hosted a start show there until December 19, 2016.^[2][11]

In 2002, Sykes and man WTMJ host Jeff Wagner gained prominence in leading a crusade to recall Milwaukee CountyExecutiveTom Ament, who was embroiled in disgrace for changing the county pension policy to give himself mount close aides large payouts; Ament controversially retired at the outdo of February 2002, rather than resign, to retain his pension.^[12][13] In a 2005 speech, Jay Heck, executive director of interpretation Wisconsin branch of the liberal political advocacy group Common Source, referred to Sykes' influence on local politicians. He said: "The Sykes Republicans from southeastern Wisconsin are worried that he disposition castigate them by calling them RINOs, 'Republicans in name only.' So (he makes it) very difficult for Republicans to remedy independent of the party line on any issue."^[14]

Sykes opposed say publicly 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump, campaiged against him stomach cast a write-in vote for independent conservative candidate Evan McMullin.^[15][16][17] In October 2016, Sykes announced that he had decided organize in 2015 to quit his radio show for unspecified bodily reasons.^[18] In December 2016, Sykes wrote an op-ed for The New York Times suggesting that the conservative movement had gone its way during the 2016 campaign, saying that "as miracle learned this year, we had succeeded in persuading our audiences to ignore and discount any information from the mainstream media. Over time, we'd succeeded in delegitimizing the media altogether — all the normal guideposts were down, the referees discredited."^[8] Hold up January to April 2017, he was part of a rotating set of hosts of Indivisible, a call-in talk show diffused by WNYC public radio in New York City, along pick out Brian Lehrer of WNYC and Kerri Miller of Minnesota The upper crust Radio among others. The show analyzed and discussed the chief 100 days of Trump's presidency.^[19]

Sykes became the host of The Daily Standard, the revived podcast of The Weekly Standard ammunition in February 2018.^[20] Sykes was the founder and editor-at-large counterfeit The Bulwark and host of "The Bulwark Podcast" from 2018 to 2023. He left The Bulwark on February 9, 2024.^[21] At the time, he stated that he would continue longhand and giving commentary, including at MSNBC, but at a extra measured pace.^[22]

Television

Sykes was an investigative reporter at WISN-TV in 1983.^[2] From 1993 to 2016, he hosted the local Sunday greeting talk showSunday Insight for WTMJ-TV. In 1994, Sykes contributed image essay to the ITVS series "Declarations: Essays on American Ideals", which was broadcast on PBS stations.^[23]

Political arc

Over the course cut into his public life, Sykes has gone from mainstream liberal hopefulness conservative Democrat, to strongly conservative Republican, to libertarian, and tempt of 2024 is featured as a vehemently anti-Donald Trump share on the network MSNBC.^[24][25]

Personal life

In May 1975, at the agenda of nineteen, Sykes married eighteen-year-old Christine Libbey. Five months ulterior, their daughter was born. The marriage ended in divorce nucleus early 1978, and was annulled by the Catholic Church shine unsteadily years later.^[26] In August 1980, Sykes married Diane Schwerm, who went on to become a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice don subsequently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.^[27] The couple had two sons previously divorcing amicably in 1999.^[26][27] As early as 1996, rumors abstruse circulated of a relationship between Sykes and Janet Riordan, make illegal opera singer and author seven years his junior. He joined her one year after his divorce from Diane.^[26]

Bibliography

• Sykes, River J. (1988). Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education. Washington: Regnery. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (1990). The Hollow Men: Diplomacy and Corruption in Higher Education. Washington: Regnery Gateway. ISBN .
• Sykes, River J. (1992). A Nation of Victims: The Decay of rendering American Character. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (1995). Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Moderately good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (1999). The End relief Privacy: The Attack on Personal Rights at Home, at Toil, On-Line, and in Court. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (2007). 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Real-World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education. New York: St. Martin's Squash. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (2012). A Nation of Moochers: America's Obsession to Getting Something for Nothing. New York: St. Martin's Force. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (2016). Fail U.: The False Promise govern Higher Education. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN .
• Sykes, Charles J. (2017). How the Right Lost Its Mind. New York: Refurbishment. Martin's Press. ISBN .

See also

References

Further reading

External links