Presidential Debate Forecast

August 6, 2015August 19, 2015 Mary Anna Mancuso Ben Carson, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Cleveland, Donald Trump, fox news, George Pataki, Jeb Bush, Jim Gilmore, John Kasich, Lindsay Graham, Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, presidential debate, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz

Tonight all eyes will be on Cleveland as the top 10 Republican presidential candidates take the stage for the first debate.

In the hottest list to drop since the Grammy nominations, Fox News announced the top 10 contenders for the first televised Republican Presidential debate. Making the cut were: Donald Trump, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Over the past few weeks we’ve watched Donald Trump run a shock and awe campaign and dominate the mainstream media. His poll numbers are rising and people are getting a little nervous he may actually be able to take home the Republican nomination. When it comes to tonight’s debate, everyone is tuning in just to see what Trump will say next.

To determine eligibility for the prime time debate spot, Fox News used national polling data to cut the presidential contender roster down to ten finalists. The seven contenders not eligible to play varsity are former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former governor of Texas Rick Perry, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore and former New York Governor George Pataki.

Some of those names should ring a bell. After all, a few of them were heavy hitters back in 2012. So what happens next, after the debates are over and everyone has gone home? Will those seven presidential hopefuls see their dreams dashed because they were unable to make the first debate in prime time? Or will they be able to continue on, raising money and making a comeback even David would be proud of? All of these questions and more are being asked by strategists, pollsters, and campaign staffers everywhere.

This is the first of several debates and we haven’t even hit the primary season yet. Again, a lot of these things are contingent upon the momentum everyone needs to maintain in order to be a player in the primary elections. With that being said, I wouldn’t rule out any of the presidential contenders just yet. After all, even David slew Goliath when no one else thought it was possible. We have months to go before the primary season is in full swing and many more of these debates are still in front of us. In other words, brace yourselves America, the presidential election of 2016 has just begun.