Heading into first GOP debate, Marco Rubio garners highest favorability

In a scene that was reminiscent of the Academy awards or college basketball’s March Madness bracketology, Fox News on Tuesday night unveiled the top 10 Republican presidential candidates who were invited to take part in the first national debate of the 2016 campaign season.

But while Democrats and Republicans alike have presided over the state’s decades-long decline, it’s the current governor and GOP presidential candidate, John Kasich, who will be in the hot seat if Ohio comes up tonight.

The roster of 10 candidates was determined based on an average of the five most recent polls.

As streets prepare to shut down, attention on Cleveland is building up, juiced by the supercharged interest in the process with Donald Trump as a key player. See the full roster, as well as the location and other information, below the ad.

Those at the press conference, including U.S. Reps.

Both debates will be held at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Fox News is set up near the Rock Hall.

But, if you want to follow along, we’ll have a live blog going for the debates tonight beginning at 5 p.m. There are also many venues that are hosting watch parties, including Market Garden Brewery and the House of Blues.

Furthermore, 66 percent of Rubio’s party’s voters recognize him, this paired with his favorability rating gives him a good edge heading into Fox News’s prime-time debate Thursday night.

A legal live stream outside of these options doesn’t seem to be available, so your best bet if you don’t have cable will be to follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and live blogs.

The main rules stipulate that each candidate will get one minute to answer questions. Also, each candidate will, time permitting, be given 30 seconds for closing statements. Fox News will broadcast the debate, which is moderated by Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier.

People will be listening, even if there is no Jon Stewart to parse what the candidates say, or don’t say.