Before Cruz can benefit from many hoped-for wins, it’s likely he will hit a point where it is mathematically impossible for him to get to 1,237 before the convention. There will no longer be even the rhetorical prospect of winning outright before Cleveland.

That’s fine with Cruz supporters. I talked to several at Tuesday night’s event, and no one had a problem with trying to lure Trump delegates to Cruz at the convention. “The rules are in place,” said Ann Stokes, a volunteer with the Cruz “Strike Force” who came to Wisconsin from her home in North Carolina. “I’m OK with the rules. I think a lot of the voters are having buyer’s remorse anyway — they’re surprised to see things that they didn’t know about Trump. I think some of the delegates are ready to bolt.”

The question that will be debated in coming days is whether Wisconsin really changed the race. It undoubtedly was a huge victory for the #NeverTrump forces, but was that the result of particular circumstances in Wisconsin, or was it the result of Trump beginning to lose altitude nationwide on the way to ultimate defeat?