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The 2016 presidential campaign is about to kick into high gear.

Thursday night in Cleveland, Ohio, Fox News will air the first Republican presidential candidate debates. The primetime debate at 9 pm ET/ 8 pm CT will feature the top ten candidates who want to capture the party’s nomination and vie for the White House in 2016. It will follow a 5 pm ET/ 4 pm CT undercard debate of GOP contenders who didn’t make the cut for the primetime airing.

SEE ALSO: Black Clergy, Dems Vow To Restore Voting Rights Act On 50th Anniversary; & GOP Debate Lineup

F​ormer RNC spokesperson, Cherylyn Harley LeBon, Assistant Editor at The Washington Post David Swerdlick, AFL-CIO Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Department Program Coordinator Tiffany Loftin and political commentator Lenny McAllister joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to break down the upcoming primetime debate.

Many have said that “all eyes” will be on Donald Trump the current frontrunner, but as history has shown us, many early polling leaders eventually fizzle out.

Martin, host of NewsOne Now, said tonight’s debate is “the perfect opportunity for people who’ve actually run states, who’ve actually passed bills, as opposed to somebody who just simply run(s) their mouth” to make a major move in the polls.

At the time of this report, Real Clear Politics has ranked the 15 GOP candidates, according to their RCP Poll Average, in the following order:

  • Donald Trump – 23.2%
  • Jeb Bush – 12.8%
  • Scott Walker  – 10.6%
  • Mike Huckabee – 6.8%
  • Ben Carson – 5.8%
  • Ted Cruz – 5.5%
  • Marco Rubio – 5.3%
  • Rand Paul – 4.5%
  • Chris Christie – 3.5%
  • John Kasich – 2.8%
  • Rick Perry – 1.8%
  • Rick Santorum – 1.5%
  • Carly Fiorina – 1.3%
  • Bobby Jindal – 1.3%
  • Lindsey Graham – 0.5%

After Thursday night’s debate, the apple cart could be overturned and the ranking of Republican presidential candidates could be totally different. Regardless of what the outcome is Friday morning, once the smoke has cleared, we should be prepared for some fireworks within this crowded field of contenders.

Watch Roland Martin and NewsOne Now preview the first 2016 Republican presidential debate in the video clip above.

Be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, weekdays at 9 a.m. EST on TV One.

Subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

SEE ALSO:  

Donald Trump: Obama Has “Set A Very Poor Standard” For African-American Presidents

NewsOne Now GOP Presidential Debate Preview: Will It Change The Game?  was originally published on newsone.com