Not since LeBron's decision has there been such an anticipated event in Cleveland.
And all eyes are on another star — billionaire businessman Donald Trump — as the first main debate is about to begin.
Since he announced in June, the reality TV star has risen quickly to the top of the polls, much to the chagrin of many in the GOP establishment who worry about his controversial statements about Mexican immigrants and more.
He'll be at center stage Thursday night, and many of his GOP rivals will be ready to pounce and take their shot at his record — in the past he's donated to Hillary Clinton, has supported healthcare reform and once supported abortion rights.
His next closest rivals — former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — may not gain anything from attacking him. But his other opponents, including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, may try to lob a direct hit.
Also on the stage will be Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has declined to criticize many of Trump's controversial statements.
The main debate comes just hours after the seven candidates who didn't make the cut met for what they had termed the "Happy Hour debate." Even then, the focus was on the top-tier candidates, as the lower-tier hopefuls took shots at Trump, Bush and even Kasich. Only former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina stood out and got rave reviews on social media.
We'll be liveblogging and updating this post throughout the two-hour debate. Also, the NPR Politics team will be livechatting here so join in.
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