Before the people can elect a new president on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, they'll have to get to know the candidates. Enter the second GOP primary debate, hosted by CNN on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. It will pit the Top 11 candidates (there is a tie for the seventh spot) for the republican nomination against one another. A mini-debate featuring four candidates, Rick Santorum, George Pataki, Bobby Jindal and Lindsey Graham, will be held at 6 p.m. prior to the main prime-time debate. 

The main event will feature rising Washington outsiders Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina in her first prime-time debate against front-runner. Look for Trump and Fiorina to make some sharp volleys against each other, and for Trump and Rand Paul to throw down. Scott Walker – who recently rebooted his campaign after a hard fall in the polls – Mike Hukabee, and John Kasich need standout performances to remain in the race. Chris Christie, in full-throated Jersey-boy, will attempt try to "out Trump" Trump to get some traction, and Marco Rubio, who hasn't been a Tea Party darling since the Gang of Eight debacle, will square off against his friend and mentor, Jeb Bush, in an attempt to distance himself from the Republican establishment that's swallowing him. Jeb Bush, with nothing to lose this early in the race – and especially given his huge campaign war chest – will play it safe.

Predicition: Master orator/debator Ted Cruz will have a stellar outing without having to resort to attacking fellow candidates, resulting in a big boost in the polls following the event.

What: There are two different debates taking place Wednesday night. The first is at 6 p.m., for the Republican presidential candidates who did not finish in the "top 11" on average in 14 qualifying polls, according to the network. The main event is at 8 p.m., which features the candidates who did finish in that top 11. The rules were amended to include "any candidate who made the top 10 in an average of polls conducted after the Fox News/Facebook debate held on August 6 would also be included in the later debate. Fiorina is the only candidate to move from the bottom six to the top 10 in that post-debate average," according to CNN. Fiorina and Huckabee tied for seventh, giving Chris Christie the "eleventh" spot in the top 10. Where: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Ca. in front of an audience of about 400. Who: Moderators: CNN's "State of the Union" host Jake Tapper, CNN political correspondent Dana Bash, Radio host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show," Hugh Hewitt

Candidates participating:

6 p.m. debate- Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, and former New York governor George Pataki.

8 p.m. debate- Business mogul Donald Trump, former Hewlitt-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, Florida senator Marco Rubio, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Texas senator Ted Cruz, Kentucky senator Rand Paul, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Ohio governor John Kasich.

Rules

Candidates will be posed questions by the moderators, and will also be asked questions taken from social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They will have 60 seconds per answer, and 30 seconds for rebuttals if mentioned by other candidates.

The topics, domestic policy, foreign policy and politics, are broad and will provide for an array of questions.

Additionally, if CNN decides that a candidate from the smaller, early debate replied with an interesting enough answer, a clip of it will be shown, and the prime-time candidates will be asked to respond to it.

How To Watch

CNN on your television or KKNT-AM 960 on the radio. Additionally, "CNN will be live streaming the GOP debate next Weds online and across CNN's mobile platforms without authentication. Users won't have to log-in to see the stream, it will be available as soon as they visit CNN.com or access one of our apps," according to a CNN spokesperson.

So even without a cable subscription, you'll be able to see the debate on CNN's website or apps.

Online: Follow HNGN's President and editorial director @mbullerdick for his live tweets during both events! 

Drinking games!

After a calculated, deep investigation, we found these sites' drinking games to be most exciting and fun for viewers, regardless of part affiliation. Or if you are solely watching to get drunk.

Sun Times National

Debate Drinking

A word from the wise, though! Know your limit and drink in moderation, because as Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points out, "You simply can't drink every time one of these guys says something silly... It's just a formula for disaster."

These are only the second two debates of the 2016 presidential cycle. Many more are set to take place. Some have exact dates and sponsors already set, while others are still being planned. Check below to see all of the debates scheduled between now and election day 2016, courtesy of USPresidentialElectionNews.com.

Remaining Debate Schedule

Wednesday, September 16, 2015
CNN/Salem Republican Debate
Aired On: CNN and Salem Radio (Press Release)
Location: Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA
Sponsors: Reagan Library Foundation, CNN, Salem Media Group
Moderators: Jake Tapper, Hugh Hewitt,
Rules: Split field into Segment B (top 10 candidates) and Segment A (remaining candidates getting at least 1% in polls) (Details)
Candidates 6pm: Santorum, Jindal, Pataki, Graham
Candidates 8pm: Trump, Bush, Walker, Huckabee, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Christie, Kasich, Fiorina 

Wednesday, October 28, 2015
CNBC Republican Debate
Aired On: CNBC
Location: University of Colorado in Boulder (Press Release)
Sponsors: CNBC (Press Release)
Candidates: To be determined

November, 2015*
Fox Business/WSJ Republican Debate
Aired On: Fox Business Network
Location: Wisconsin
Sponsors: Fox Business Network, Wall Street Journal
Candidates: To be determined

December 15, 2015
CNN/Salem Republican Debate
Aired On: CNN
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group
Candidates: To be determined
2016

January, 2016*
Fox News Republican Debate
Aired On: Fox News Channel
Location: Iowa
Sponsors: Fox News
Candidates: To be determined

February 6, 2016
ABC/IJReview Republican Debate
Aired On: ABC
Location: St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire
Sponsors: ABC News, IJReview.com (Press Release)
Candidates: To be determined

February 13, 2016
CBS News Republican Debate
Aired On: CBS
Location: South Carolina
Sponsors: CBS News
Candidates: To be determined

February 26, 2016
NBC/Telemundo Republican Debate
Aired On: NBC and Telemundo
Location: Texas
Sponsors: NBC/Telemundo, National Review
Candidates: To be determined

March, 2016*
Fox News Republican Debate
Aired On: Fox News Channel
Location: TBD
Sponsors: Fox News
Candidates: To be determined

March 10, 2016
CNN/Salem Republican Debate
Aired On: CNN
Location: Florida
Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group
Candidates: To be determined

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